diff --git a/.github/workflows/cache-verify.yml b/.github/workflows/cache-verify.yml
index f8d4ca04f..f4814b182 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cache-verify.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cache-verify.yml
@@ -55,56 +55,33 @@ jobs:
       - name: Compute cache key (unique per run)
         id: cache-key
         run: |
+          ROOT_HASH=$(sha256sum yarn.lock | cut -d' ' -f1)
           BACKEND_HASH=$(sha256sum backend/yarn.lock | cut -d' ' -f1)
           WEBAPP_HASH=$(sha256sum webapp/yarn.lock | cut -d' ' -f1)
-          CYPRESS_HASH=$(sha256sum cypress/yarn.lock | cut -d' ' -f1 2>/dev/null || echo "nocypress")
-          KEY="ci-all-cache-${{ runner.os }}-${BACKEND_HASH}-${WEBAPP_HASH}-${CYPRESS_HASH}-run${{ github.run_id }}"
+          KEY="ci-unified-cache-${{ runner.os }}-${ROOT_HASH}-${BACKEND_HASH}-${WEBAPP_HASH}-${{ github.run_id }}"
           echo "key=$KEY"
           echo "key=$KEY" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
-      - name: Ensure directory structure
-        run: mkdir -p backend webapp cypress
-
-      - name: Restore CI cache
+      - name: Restore unified CI cache
         id: restore-cache
         uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
         with:
           path: |
+            node_modules
             backend/node_modules
             webapp/node_modules
-            cypress/node_modules
             ~/.cache/Cypress
             /opt/cucumber-json-formatter
           key: ${{ steps.cache-key.outputs.key }}
           restore-keys: |
-            ci-all-cache-${{ runner.os }}-
+            ci-unified-cache-${{ runner.os }}-
 
-      - name: Install backend dependencies if needed
+      - name: Install all dependencies
         run: |
-          if [ ! -d backend/node_modules ] || [ -z "$(ls -A backend/node_modules)" ]; then
-            cd backend && yarn install
-          fi
-
-      - name: Install webapp dependencies if needed
-        run: |
-          if [ ! -d webapp/node_modules ] || [ -z "$(ls -A webapp/node_modules)" ]; then
-            cd webapp && yarn install
-          fi
-
-      - name: Install Cypress (local in cypress/)
-        run: |
-          if [ -f cypress/package.json ]; then
-            cd cypress
-            if [ ! -d node_modules ] || [ -z "$(ls -A node_modules)" ]; then
-              echo "Installing Cypress locally in cypress/"
-              yarn install
-              npx --yes cypress verify
-            else
-              echo "✅ cypress/node_modules already present."
-            fi
-          else
-            echo "⚠️ No cypress/package.json found — skipping local Cypress install"
-          fi
+          yarn install
+          cd backend && yarn install && cd ..
+          cd webapp && yarn install && cd ..
+          npx cypress verify || echo "Cypress verify failed (likely not yet installed)"
 
       - name: Install cucumber-json-formatter if missing
         run: |
@@ -113,18 +90,19 @@ jobs:
             chmod +x /opt/cucumber-json-formatter
           fi
 
-      - name: Save updated CI cache
+      - name: Save unified CI cache
         uses: actions/cache/save@v4
         if: always()
         with:
           path: |
+            node_modules
             backend/node_modules
             webapp/node_modules
-            cypress/node_modules
             ~/.cache/Cypress
             /opt/cucumber-json-formatter
           key: ${{ steps.cache-key.outputs.key }}
 
+
   verify-environment:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [cache-environment]
@@ -132,41 +110,27 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Ensure directory structure exists
-        run: mkdir -p backend webapp cypress
-
-      - name: Restore CI cache
+      - name: Restore unified CI cache
         uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
         with:
           path: |
+            node_modules
             backend/node_modules
             webapp/node_modules
-            cypress/node_modules
             ~/.cache/Cypress
             /opt/cucumber-json-formatter
           key: ${{ needs.cache-environment.outputs.cache-key }}
           restore-keys: |
-            ci-all-cache-${{ runner.os }}-
+            ci-unified-cache-${{ runner.os }}-
 
-      - name: Check backend/node_modules
+      - name: Check all node_modules exist
         run: |
+          [ -d node_modules ] && [ -n "$(ls -A node_modules)" ] || (echo "❌ node_modules missing" && exit 1)
           [ -d backend/node_modules ] && [ -n "$(ls -A backend/node_modules)" ] || (echo "❌ backend/node_modules missing" && exit 1)
-
-      - name: Check webapp/node_modules
-        run: |
           [ -d webapp/node_modules ] && [ -n "$(ls -A webapp/node_modules)" ] || (echo "❌ webapp/node_modules missing" && exit 1)
 
-      - name: Check cypress/node_modules
+      - name: Check Cypress binary & CLI
         run: |
-          [ -d cypress/node_modules ] && [ -n "$(ls -A cypress/node_modules)" ] || (echo "❌ cypress/node_modules missing" && exit 1)
-
-      - name: Check Cypress binary cache
-        run: |
-          [ -d ~/.cache/Cypress ] || (echo "❌ Cypress binary cache missing" && exit 1)
-
-      - name: Check Cypress CLI (from local install)
-        run: |
-          cd cypress
           npx --yes cypress --version
           npx --yes cypress verify
 
@@ -174,34 +138,6 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           [ -x /opt/cucumber-json-formatter ] && /opt/cucumber-json-formatter --help || (echo "❌ Formatter missing" && exit 1)
 
-      - name: CI Cache Health Summary
-        run: |
-          echo "📦 CI Cache Health Summary:"
-          echo
-
-          check() {
-            if [ -d "$1" ] && [ -n "$(ls -A $1)" ]; then
-              echo "✅ $1 OK"
-            else
-              echo "❌ $1 missing or empty"
-            fi
-          }
-
-          check backend/node_modules
-          check webapp/node_modules
-          check cypress/node_modules
-          [ -d ~/.cache/Cypress ] && echo "✅ Cypress binary cache OK" || echo "❌ Cypress binary cache missing"
-          [ -x /opt/cucumber-json-formatter ] && echo "✅ Formatter executable OK" || echo "❌ Formatter missing"
-
-          echo
-
-          if [ -d backend/node_modules ] && [ -d webapp/node_modules ] && \
-            [ -d cypress/node_modules ] && [ -d ~/.cache/Cypress ] && \
-            [ -x /opt/cucumber-json-formatter ]; then
-            echo "🎉 ✅ All dependencies loaded from cache – ready to test"
-          else
-            echo "⚠️ Partial cache – some installs might have been required"
-          fi
 
   consolidate-environment:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest