diff --git a/.github/workflows/macos-ci-x86_64.yaml b/.github/workflows/macos-ci-x86_64.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index a5a216a29..000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/macos-ci-x86_64.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,141 +0,0 @@
-name: macos-ci-x86_64-build
-on:
-  pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - 'doc/**'
-      - '**.md'
-      - '.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/*'
-      - '.gitignore'
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-defaults:
-  run:
-    shell: bash
-
-jobs:
-  macos-ci-x86_64-build:
-    runs-on: [macos-ci-x86_64]
-
-    steps:
-      - name: cleanup
-        run: |
-          pwd
-          ls -lart
-          rm -fr *
-
-      - name: checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v2
-        with:
-          submodules: true
-
-      - name: create-env
-        run: |
-          source ./setup.sh
-
-          # DH* 20230302 - to avoid using padded_length for build caches,
-          # always build in the same environment so that the length of the
-          # path doesn't change - see also other 'DH* 20230302' changes below
-          #export ENVNAME=${{ inputs.template || 'unified-dev' }}.macos-ci-x86_64
-          export ENVNAME=ci-env.macos-ci-x86_64
-          # *DH
-          export ENVDIR=$PWD/envs/${ENVNAME}
-          spack stack create env --site macos.default --template ${{ inputs.template || 'unified-dev' }} --name ${ENVNAME}
-          spack env activate ${ENVDIR}
-          spack add ${{ inputs.specs || '' }}
-          export SPACK_SYSTEM_CONFIG_PATH="${ENVDIR}/site"
-
-          # Find external packages
-          spack external find --scope system \
-              --exclude bison --exclude openssl  \
-              --exclude python --exclude gettext
-          # Need to find gettext outside of default (presumed to be a system) path for krb5
-          spack external find --path=/usr/local/Cellar/gettext/0.21.1 gettext
-          spack external find --scope system perl
-          spack external find --scope system wget
-          PATH="/usr/local/opt/curl/bin:$PATH" \
-              spack external find --scope system curl
-          PATH="/usr/local/opt/qt5/bin:$PATH" \
-              spack external find --scope system qt
-          spack external find --scope system texlive
-          spack external find --scope system mysql
-
-          # Find compilers
-          spack compiler find --scope system
-
-          export -n SPACK_SYSTEM_CONFIG_PATH
-
-          # DH* 20230302 - Don't use yet, too many problems
-          ## For buildcaches
-          #spack config add config:install_tree:padded_length:true
-          # *DH
-
-          # Set compiler and MPI
-          spack config add "packages:all:providers:mpi:[openmpi@5.0.1]"
-          spack config add "packages:all:compiler:[apple-clang@14.0.0]"
-          sed -i '' "s/\['\%aocc', '\%apple-clang', '\%gcc', '\%intel'\]/\['\%apple-clang'\]/g" $ENVDIR/spack.yaml
-
-          # Add additional variants for MET packages, different from config/common/packages.yaml
-          spack config add "packages:met:variants:+python +grib2 +graphics +lidar2nc +modis"
-
-          # Concretize and check for duplicates
-          spack concretize 2>&1 | tee log.concretize.apple-clang-14.0.0
-          ${SPACK_STACK_DIR}/util/show_duplicate_packages.py -d log.concretize.apple-clang-14.0.0 -i fms -i crtm -i esmf -i mapl
-
-          # Add and update source cache
-          spack mirror add local-source file:///Users/ec2-user/spack-stack/source-cache/
-          spack mirror create -a -d /Users/ec2-user/spack-stack/source-cache/
-
-          # Add binary cache and reindex it
-          spack mirror add local-binary file:///Users/ec2-user/spack-stack/build-cache/
-          spack buildcache update-index local-binary
-          echo "Packages in combined spack build caches:"
-          spack buildcache list
-
-          # Break installation up in pieces and create build caches in between
-          # This allows us to "spin up" builds that altogether take longer than
-          # six hours, and/or fail later in the build process.
-
-          # base-env
-          echo "base-env ..."
-          spack install --fail-fast --source --no-check-signature base-env 2>&1 | tee log.install.apple-clang-14.0.0.base-env
-          spack buildcache create -a -u /Users/ec2-user/spack-stack/build-cache/ base-env
-
-          # the rest
-          echo "${{ inputs.template || 'unified-dev' }} ..."
-          spack install --fail-fast --source --no-check-signature 2>&1 | tee log.install.apple-clang-14.0.0.${{ inputs.template || 'unified-dev' }}
-          spack buildcache create -a -u /Users/ec2-user/spack-stack/build-cache/
-
-          # Next steps: synchronize source and build cache to a central/combined mirror?
-          echo "Next steps ..."
-          spack clean -a
-          spack module lmod refresh -y
-          spack stack setup-meta-modules
-          spack env deactivate
-
-      - name: test-env
-        run: |
-          source /usr/local/opt/lmod/init/profile
-
-          # DH* 20230302 - to avoid using padded_length for build caches,
-          # always build in the same environment so that the length of the
-          # path doesn't change - see also other 'DH* 20230302' changes below
-          #export ENVNAME=${{ inputs.template || 'unified-dev' }}.macos-ci-x86_64
-          export ENVNAME=ci-env.macos-ci-x86_64
-          # *DH
-          export ENVDIR=$PWD/envs/${ENVNAME}
-          ls -l ${ENVDIR}/install/modulefiles/Core
-
-          module use ${ENVDIR}/install/modulefiles/Core
-          module load stack-apple-clang/14.0.0
-          module load stack-openmpi/5.0.1
-          module load stack-python/3.10.13
-          module available
-
-          module load jedi-ufs-env/1.0.0
-          module load ewok-env/1.0.0
-          module load soca-env/1.0.0
-          module list
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ubuntu-rnd-x86_64.yaml b/.github/workflows/ubuntu-rnd-x86_64.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 0b32d4f24..000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/ubuntu-rnd-x86_64.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,235 +0,0 @@
-name: ubuntu-rnd-x86_64-build
-on:
-  schedule:
-    - cron: '0 0 * * *'
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-defaults:
-  run:
-    shell: bash
-
-jobs:
-  ubuntu-rnd-x86_64-build:
-    runs-on: [ubuntu-rnd-x86_64]
-    timeout-minutes: 720 # 12 hours
-
-    steps:
-      - name: cleanup
-        run: |
-          pwd
-          ls -lart
-          rm -fr *
-          rm -fr /home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp
-          mkdir /home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp
-
-          TODAY=$(date +%Y%m%d)
-          LAST_TO_KEEP=$(date --date='-1 days' +%Y%m%d)
-          echo "TODAY is ${TODAY}"
-          echo "LAST_TO_KEEP is ${LAST_TO_KEEP}"
-
-          cd /home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/unified-env
-          for dir in `ls -1`; do echo ${dir}; if [[ ${dir} < ${LAST_TO_KEEP} ]]; then echo "Deleting ${dir}"; rm -fr ${dir}; fi; done
-
-      - name: checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-        with:
-          submodules: true
-
-      - name: create-buildcache
-        run: |
-          source ./setup.sh
-
-          # Get day of week to set default container for scheduled builds
-          DOW=$(date +%u)
-          # Monday is 1 ... Sunday is 7
-          if [[ $DOW == 7 ]]; then
-            export USE_BINARY_CACHE=false
-            echo "Ignore existing binary cache for creating buildcache environment"
-          else
-            export USE_BINARY_CACHE=true
-            echo "Use existing binary cache for creating buildcache environment"
-          fi
-
-          # Make environment for creating/updating binary cache
-          export TEMPLATE=${{ inputs.template || 'unified-dev' }}
-          export ENVNAME=buildcache-${TEMPLATE}.ubuntu-rnd-x86_64
-          export ENVDIR=$PWD/envs/${ENVNAME}
-          spack stack create env --site aws-pcluster --template ${TEMPLATE} --name ${ENVNAME} --prefix=/home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp/spack-stack-dev-buildcache
-          spack env activate ${ENVDIR}
-          spack add ${{ inputs.specs || '' }}
-
-          # For buildcaches
-          spack config add config:install_tree:padded_length:200
-
-          # Add additional variants for MET packages, different from config/common/packages.yaml
-          spack config add "packages:met:variants:+python +grib2 +graphics +lidar2nc +modis"
-
-          # Overrides for spack build and staging areas to speed up builds,
-          # separate from the default site config locations to avoid conflicts
-          spack config add "config:build_stage:/home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp/build_stage"
-          spack config add "config:test_stage:/home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp/test_stage"
-          spack config add "config:source_cache:/home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp/source_cache"
-          spack config add "config:misc_cache:/home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp/misc_cache"
-
-          # Loop over compilers
-          declare -a compilers=("gcc" "intel")
-          cp ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml.original
-
-          for compiler in "${compilers[@]}"
-          do
-            # Set compiler and MPI
-            cp ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml.original ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml
-            sed -i "s/\['\%aocc', '\%apple-clang', '\%gcc', '\%intel'\]/\['\%${compiler}'\]/g" ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml
-            cat ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml
-
-            # Concretize and check for duplicates
-            spack concretize --force --fresh 2>&1 | tee log.concretize.${ENVNAME}.${compiler}
-            ${SPACK_STACK_DIR}/util/show_duplicate_packages.py -d log.concretize.${ENVNAME}.${compiler} -i fms -i crtm -i esmf -i mapl
-
-            # Update spack source cache
-            spack mirror create -a -d /mnt/experiments-efs/spack-stack/source-cache
-
-            # Add binary cache if requested
-            if [ "$USE_BINARY_CACHE" = true ] ; then
-              spack mirror add local-binary file:///mnt/experiments-efs/spack-stack/build-cache/
-              spack buildcache update-index local-binary
-              echo "Packages in spack binary cache:"
-              spack buildcache list
-            fi
-
-            # Create/update binary cache
-            echo "Create/update build cache for environment ${TEMPLATE} and compiler ${compiler}..."
-            spack install --fail-fast --source --no-check-signature 2>&1 | tee log.install.${TEMPLATE}.${compiler}
-            spack buildcache create -a -u /mnt/experiments-efs/spack-stack/build-cache/
-
-            # Next steps: synchronize source and build cache to a central/combined mirror?
-            #echo "Next steps ..."
-
-            # Remove binary cache for next round of concretization
-            if [ "$USE_BINARY_CACHE" = true ] ; then
-              spack mirror rm local-binary
-            fi
-          done
-
-          spack env deactivate
-          rm -fr /home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp/spack-stack-dev-buildcache
-
-      - name: create-env
-        run: |
-          source ./setup.sh
-          TODAY=$(date +%Y%m%d)
-
-          # Create actual environment from binary cache
-          export TEMPLATE=${{ inputs.template || 'unified-dev' }}
-          export ENVNAME=${TEMPLATE}.ubuntu-rnd-x86_64
-          export ENVDIR=$PWD/envs/${ENVNAME}
-          spack stack create env --site aws-pcluster --template ${TEMPLATE} --name ${ENVNAME} --prefix=/home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/unified-env/${TODAY}
-          spack env activate ${ENVDIR}
-          spack add ${{ inputs.specs || '' }}
-
-          # Add additional variants for MET packages, different from config/common/packages.yaml
-          spack config add "packages:met:variants:+python +grib2 +graphics +lidar2nc +modis"
-
-          # Overrides for spack build and staging areas to speed up builds,
-          # separate from the default site config locations to avoid conflicts
-          spack config add "config:build_stage:/home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp/build_stage"
-          spack config add "config:test_stage:/home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp/test_stage"
-          spack config add "config:source_cache:/home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp/source_cache"
-          spack config add "config:misc_cache:/home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/tmp/misc_cache"
-
-          # Loop over compilers
-          declare -a compilers=("gcc" "intel")
-          cp ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml.original
-
-          for compiler in "${compilers[@]}"
-          do
-            # Set compiler and MPI
-            cp ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml.original ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml
-            sed -i "s/\['\%aocc', '\%apple-clang', '\%gcc', '\%intel'\]/\['\%${compiler}'\]/g" ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml
-            cat ${ENVDIR}/spack.yaml
-
-            # Concretize and check for duplicates
-            spack concretize --force --fresh 2>&1 | tee log.concretize.${ENVNAME}.${compiler}
-            ${SPACK_STACK_DIR}/util/show_duplicate_packages.py -d log.concretize.${ENVNAME}.${compiler} -i fms -i crtm -i esmf -i mapl
-
-            # Update spack source cache
-            spack mirror create -a -d /mnt/experiments-efs/spack-stack/source-cache
-
-            # Add binary cache
-            spack mirror add local-binary file:///mnt/experiments-efs/spack-stack/build-cache/
-            spack buildcache update-index local-binary
-            echo "Packages in spack binary cache:"
-            spack buildcache list
-
-            # Install from binary cache
-            echo "Install environment ${TEMPLATE} for compiler ${compiler} from binary cache ..."
-            spack install --fail-fast --no-check-signature 2>&1 | tee log.install.${TEMPLATE}.${compiler}
-            spack clean -a
-
-            # Create modules
-            spack module lmod refresh -y
-            spack stack setup-meta-modules
-
-            # Remove binary cache for next round of concretization
-            spack mirror rm local-binary
-          done
-
-          spack env deactivate
-
-      - name: test-env
-        run: |
-          source /etc/profile.d/z00_lmod.sh
-          module use /usr/share/modules/modulefiles
-          module use /opt/intel/mpi/2021.6.0/modulefiles
-          module use /home/ubuntu/jedi/modulefiles
-
-          TODAY=$(date +%Y%m%d)
-          echo "TODAY is ${TODAY}"
-          ls -l /home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/unified-env/${TODAY}/modulefiles/Core
-
-          module use /home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/unified-env/${TODAY}/modulefiles/Core
-          module load stack-intel/2021.6.0
-          module load stack-intel-oneapi-mpi/2021.6.0
-          module load stack-python/3.10.13
-          module available
-
-          module load jedi-ufs-env/1.0.0
-          module load ewok-env/1.0.0
-          module load soca-env/1.0.0
-          module list
-
-          module purge
-          module load stack-gcc/9.4.0
-          module load stack-openmpi/4.1.4
-          module load stack-python/3.10.13
-          module available
-
-          module load jedi-ufs-env/1.0.0
-          module load ewok-env/1.0.0
-          module load soca-env/1.0.0
-          module list
-
-          # Create empty file to signal that this environment is ready for testing
-          touch /home/ubuntu/spack-stack/CI/unified-env/${TODAY}.ready
-
-      # Report status to JCSDA CI slack channel for nightly runs only
-      - name: Report Status
-        if: always()
-        uses: ravsamhq/notify-slack-action@v1
-        env:
-          SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL: ${{ secrets.ACTION_MONITORING_SLACK }}
-        with:
-          # https://www.ravsam.in/blog/send-slack-notification-when-github-actions-fails/#getting-a-webhook-url
-          # https://www.ravsam.in/blog/collect-form-responses-using-google-apps-script
-          # https://github.com/marketplace/actions/notify-slack-action
-          status: ${{ job.status }}
-          notify_when: 'success,failure,warnings'
-          notification_title: '{workflow} has {status_message}'
-          message_format: '{emoji} *{workflow}* {status_message} for branch {branch} in <{repo_url}|{repo}>'
-          footer: ${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.event_name || 'workflow dispatched manually' }}
-          # For testing: only notify user Dom
-          #mention_users: 'U02NLGXF5HV'
-          #mention_users_when: 'failure,warnings'
-          # Default: notify channel
-          mention_groups: '!channel'
-          mention_groups_when: 'failure,warnings'
diff --git a/configs/common/modules_lmod.yaml b/configs/common/modules_lmod.yaml
index 383071612..6b2b9af75 100644
--- a/configs/common/modules_lmod.yaml
+++ b/configs/common/modules_lmod.yaml
@@ -71,8 +71,6 @@ modules:
       - openssl
       - perl
       - pkgconf
-      - protobuf
-      - py-protobuf
       - qt
       - randrproto
       - readline
diff --git a/configs/common/modules_tcl.yaml b/configs/common/modules_tcl.yaml
index 58fd733c7..8011b215f 100644
--- a/configs/common/modules_tcl.yaml
+++ b/configs/common/modules_tcl.yaml
@@ -73,8 +73,6 @@ modules:
       - openssl
       - perl
       - pkgconf
-      - protobuf
-      - py-protobuf
       - qt
       - randrproto
       - readline
diff --git a/configs/sites/narwhal/compilers.yaml b/configs/sites/narwhal/compilers.yaml
index d279a5213..4102aa0cd 100644
--- a/configs/sites/narwhal/compilers.yaml
+++ b/configs/sites/narwhal/compilers.yaml
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ compilers::
       modules:
       - PrgEnv-intel/8.3.2
       - intel-classic/2021.4.0
-      - node.js/20.10.0
       environment:
         prepend_path:
           PATH: '/opt/cray/pe/gcc/10.3.0/snos/bin'
@@ -32,7 +31,6 @@ compilers::
       modules:
       - PrgEnv-gnu/8.3.2
       - gcc/10.3.0
-      - node.js/20.10.0
       environment:
         prepend_path:
           LD_LIBRARY_PATH: '/opt/cray/pe/libsci/22.08.1.1/GNU/9.1/x86_64/lib'
diff --git a/doc/source/PreConfiguredSites.rst b/doc/source/PreConfiguredSites.rst
index ebe307ce8..ffb5e788e 100644
--- a/doc/source/PreConfiguredSites.rst
+++ b/doc/source/PreConfiguredSites.rst
@@ -259,6 +259,10 @@ For ``spack-stack-1.6.0`` with Intel, proceed with loading the following modules
 
 .. code-block:: console
 
+   # These extra steps are required for performance reason, ofi is about 30% slower than ucx
+   # Note we can't load craype-network-ucx for building spack-stack environments, must do here
+   module unload craype-network-ofi
+   module load craype-network-ucx
    module use /p/app/projects/NEPTUNE/spack-stack/spack-stack-1.6.0/envs/unified-env-intel-2021.4.0/install/modulefiles/Core
    module load stack-intel/2021.4.0
    module load stack-cray-mpich/8.1.14
@@ -287,6 +291,10 @@ For ``spack-stack-1.6.0`` with GNU, proceed with loading the following modules:
 
 .. code-block:: console
 
+   # These extra steps are required for performance reason, ofi is about 30% slower than ucx
+   # Note we can't load craype-network-ucx for building spack-stack environments, must do here
+   module unload craype-network-ofi
+   module load craype-network-ucx
    module use /p/app/projects/NEPTUNE/spack-stack/spack-stack-1.6.0/envs/unified-env-gcc-10.3.0/install/modulefiles/Core
    module load stack-gcc/10.3.0
    module load stack-cray-mpich/8.1.14
@@ -393,7 +401,7 @@ The following is required for building new spack environments and for using spac
    module use /glade/work/epicufsrt/contrib/spack-stack/derecho/modulefiles
    module load ecflow/5.8.4
 
-For ``spack-stack-1.6.0`` with Intel, proceed with loading the following modules::
+For ``spack-stack-1.6.0`` with Intel, proceed with loading the following modules:
 
 .. code-block:: console
 
diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
index 3f033d620..23c3b7ed1 100755
--- a/setup.sh
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ echo "Setting environment variable SPACK_STACK_DIR to ${SPACK_STACK_DIR}"
 
 source ${SPACK_STACK_DIR:?}/spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh
 echo "Sourcing spack environment ${SPACK_STACK_DIR}/spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh"
-export SPACK_USER_CACHE_PATH=$SPACK_ROOT/user_cache
+if [ "$(uname)" != "Darwin" ]; then
+  export SPACK_USER_CACHE_PATH=$SPACK_ROOT/user_cache
+fi
 
 # Get the current hash of the spack-stack code
 export SPACK_STACK_HASH=`git rev-parse --short HEAD`
diff --git a/spack b/spack
index b40323ef1..4fafe3ead 160000
--- a/spack
+++ b/spack
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit b40323ef10659795b66e8e165a6b16c7ca1c0066
+Subproject commit 4fafe3eadbe330e64423b8ee16c88f8309f48d5b