diff --git a/.github/actions/setup_lfs/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup_lfs/action.yml
index 304b5a4f46f..43365eb50d8 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup_lfs/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup_lfs/action.yml
@@ -34,31 +34,30 @@ runs:
       working-directory: tardis-regression-data
       shell: bash
 
-    - name: Restore LFS cache
+    - name: Initial LFS cache restore attempt
       uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
       id: lfs-cache-regression-data
       with:
         path: tardis-regression-data/.git/lfs
-        key: tardis-regression-${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse == 'true' && 'atom-data-sparse' || 'full-data' }}-${{ hashFiles('tardis-regression-data/.lfs-files-list') }}-v1
+        key: tardis-regression-${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse == 'true' && 'atom-data-sparse' || 'full-data' }}-${{ hashFiles('tardis-regression-data/.lfs-files-list') }}-${{ inputs.regression-data-repo }}-v1
 
-    - name: Git LFS Pull
-      run: git lfs pull
-      working-directory: tardis-regression-data
+    - name: Download and cache LFS files if cache miss
+      uses: ./.github/workflows/lfs-cache.yml
       if: steps.lfs-cache-regression-data.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-      shell: bash
+      with:
+        atom-data-sparse: ${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse }}
+        regression-data-repo: ${{ inputs.regression-data-repo }}
+        lfs-files-list: tardis-regression-data/.lfs-files-list
+    
+    - name: Restore newly created LFS cache
+      uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
+      id: lfs-cache-regression-data-final
+      with:
+        path: tardis-regression-data/.git/lfs
+        key: tardis-regression-${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse == 'true' && 'atom-data-sparse' || 'full-data' }}-${{ hashFiles('tardis-regression-data/.lfs-files-list') }}-${{ inputs.regression-data-repo }}-v1
 
     - name: Git LFS Checkout
       run: git lfs checkout
       working-directory: tardis-regression-data
       if: steps.lfs-cache-regression-data.outputs.cache-hit == 'true'
       shell: bash
-
-    - name: Save LFS cache if not found
-      # uses fake ternary
-      # for reference: https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/26738#discussioncomment-3253176
-      if: ${{ steps.lfs-cache-regression-data.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' && !contains(github.ref, 'merge') && always() || false }}
-      uses: actions/cache/save@v4
-      id: lfs-cache-regression-data-save
-      with:
-        path: tardis-regression-data/.git/lfs
-        key: tardis-regression-${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse == 'true' && 'atom-data-sparse' || 'full-data' }}-${{ hashFiles('tardis-regression-data/.lfs-files-list') }}-v1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lfs-cache.yml b/.github/workflows/lfs-cache.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1ce36e9822c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/lfs-cache.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+name: Save LFS Cache
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      atom-data-sparse:
+        description: "Only download atom data files"
+        required: false
+        default: false
+        type: boolean
+      regression-data-repo:
+        description: "tardis regression data repository"
+        required: false
+        default: "tardis-sn/tardis-regression-data"
+        type: string
+      lfs-files-list:
+        description: "LFS files list"
+        required: false
+        type: string
+
+defaults:
+  run:
+    shell: bash -l {0}
+
+concurrency:
+  # Only one workflow can run at a time
+  # the workflow group is a unique identifier and contains the workflow name, pull request number, atom data sparse, and regression data repo
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}-${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse == 'true' && 'atom-data-sparse' || 'full-data' }}-${{ inputs.regression-data-repo }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+
+jobs:
+  lfs-cache:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          repository: ${{ inputs.regression-data-repo }}
+          path: tardis-regression-data
+          sparse-checkout: ${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse == 'true' && 'atom_data/kurucz_cd23_chianti_H_He.h5' || '' }}
+
+      - name: Print files
+        run: |
+          echo ${{ inputs.lfs-files-list }}
+          echo ${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse }}
+          echo ${{ inputs.regression-data-repo }}
+      
+      - name: Git LFS Pull Atom Data
+        run: git lfs pull --include-ref=atom_data/kurucz_cd23_chianti_H_He.h5
+        if: ${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse == 'true' }}
+        working-directory: tardis-regression-data
+        shell: bash
+      
+      - name: Git LFS Pull Full Data
+        run: git lfs pull
+        if: ${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse == 'false' }}
+        working-directory: tardis-regression-data
+        shell: bash
+      
+      - name: Git LFS Checkout
+        run: git lfs checkout
+        working-directory: tardis-regression-data
+        shell: bash
+  
+      - name: Save LFS cache if not found
+        uses: actions/cache/save@v4
+        with:
+          path: tardis-regression-data/.git/lfs
+          key: tardis-regression-${{ inputs.atom-data-sparse == 'true' && 'atom-data-sparse' || 'full-data' }}-${{ hashFiles('tardis-regression-data/.lfs-files-list') }}-${{ inputs.regression-data-repo }}-v1
+