diff --git a/ProcessLib/PhaseField/Tests.cmake b/ProcessLib/PhaseField/Tests.cmake
index 8a2d982a232..fe25c0693a5 100644
--- a/ProcessLib/PhaseField/Tests.cmake
+++ b/ProcessLib/PhaseField/Tests.cmake
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ AddTest(
 
 if(OGS_USE_PETSC)
     NotebookTest(NOTEBOOKFILE PhaseField/surfing_jupyter_notebook/surfing_pyvista.ipynb RUNTIME 25)
-    NotebookTest(NOTEBOOKFILE PhaseField/beam_jupyter_notebook/beam.ipynb RUNTIME 500 PROPERTIES PROCESSORS 3)
+    NotebookTest(NOTEBOOKFILE PhaseField/beam_jupyter_notebook/beam.ipynb RUNTIME 1200 PROPERTIES PROCESSORS 3)
     NotebookTest(NOTEBOOKFILE PhaseField/tpb_jupyter_notebook/TPB.ipynb RUNTIME 110 PROPERTIES PROCESSORS 4)
     NotebookTest(NOTEBOOKFILE PhaseField/kregime_jupyter_notebook/Kregime_Static_jupyter.ipynb RUNTIME 40)
     NotebookTest(NOTEBOOKFILE PhaseField/PForthotropy_jupyter_notebook/sen_shear.ipynb RUNTIME 500 PROPERTIES PROCESSORS 4)
diff --git a/ProcessLib/SmallDeformation/Tests.cmake b/ProcessLib/SmallDeformation/Tests.cmake
index 7f181bf55c5..12366ab8c33 100644
--- a/ProcessLib/SmallDeformation/Tests.cmake
+++ b/ProcessLib/SmallDeformation/Tests.cmake
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ if (OGS_USE_MFRONT)
     )
     OgsTest(PROJECTFILE Mechanics/MohrCoulombAbboSloan/load_test_mc.prj)
     if (OGS_USE_MPI)
-        OgsTest(WRAPPER mpirun -np 4 PROJECTFILE Mechanics/MohrCoulombAbboSloan/PetscMpi/slope_hexa.prj)
+        OgsTest(WRAPPER mpirun -np 4 PROJECTFILE Mechanics/MohrCoulombAbboSloan/PetscMpi/slope_hexa.prj
+            RUNTIME 1200)
     endif()
     OgsTest(PROJECTFILE Mechanics/MohrCoulombAbboSloanAnisotropic/triax_1e0_47.prj)
     OgsTest(PROJECTFILE Mechanics/MohrCoulombAbboSloanAnisotropic/triax_ortho_1e0_47.prj)
diff --git a/Tests/Data/requirements-gmsh-nox.txt b/Tests/Data/requirements-gmsh-nox.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 2eac51c18eb..00000000000
--- a/Tests/Data/requirements-gmsh-nox.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
---index-url https://gmsh.info/python-packages-dev-nox
---pre
-gmsh>=4.11
diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-wheels.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-wheels.yml
index 514dd62069d..305cdb5af37 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-wheels.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-wheels.yml
@@ -104,6 +104,6 @@ test notebooks via wheel:
     - python3.10 -m venv --upgrade-deps .venv
     - source .venv/bin/activate
     - pip install -r requirements.txt
-    - pip install --force-reinstall -r requirements-gmsh-nox.txt
+    - pip install --force-reinstall --pre  --index-url https://gmsh.info/python-packages-dev-nox "gmsh>=4.11"
     - pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
     - pip install ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/wheelhouse/ogs-*-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl
diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/jupyter.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/jupyter.yml
index 6b4571e54ef..9af7afbe495 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/jupyter.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/jupyter.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ test notebooks via wheel:
     - python -m venv --upgrade-deps .venv
     - source .venv/bin/activate
     - pip install -r requirements.txt
-    - pip install --force-reinstall -r requirements-gmsh-nox.txt
+    - pip install --force-reinstall --pre  --index-url https://gmsh.info/python-packages-dev-nox "gmsh>=4.11"
     - pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
     - pip install -r requirements-ogs.txt
   script:
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/PythonCreateVirtualEnv.cmake b/scripts/cmake/PythonCreateVirtualEnv.cmake
index 9e62605c962..bf0ee0962c1 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/PythonCreateVirtualEnv.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/PythonCreateVirtualEnv.cmake
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 # cmake-lint: disable=C0103
-message(STATUS "┌─ PythonCreateVirtualEnv.cmake")
-list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT "│    ")
 
 # Prefer more recent Python version
 set(Python_FIND_STRATEGY VERSION)
@@ -14,9 +12,21 @@ if(${Python_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.9)
     set(_upgrade_deps --upgrade-deps)
 endif()
 
+if(UV_TOOL_PATH)
+    set(_create_venv_command ${UV_TOOL_PATH} venv --python ${Python_EXECUTABLE})
+    set(_venv_tool "uv")
+else()
+    set(_create_venv_command ${Python_EXECUTABLE} -m venv ${_upgrade_deps}
+                             .venv
+    )
+    set(_venv_tool "pip")
+endif()
+
+message(STATUS "┌─ PythonCreateVirtualEnv.cmake (using ${_venv_tool})")
+list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT "│    ")
+
 execute_process(
-    COMMAND ${Python_EXECUTABLE} -m venv ${_upgrade_deps} .venv
-    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
+    COMMAND ${_create_venv_command} WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
 )
 
 list(POP_BACK CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT)
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/PythonSetup.cmake b/scripts/cmake/PythonSetup.cmake
index 96545ddbd91..3da8793f86b 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/PythonSetup.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/PythonSetup.cmake
@@ -2,13 +2,39 @@
 
 if(OGS_USE_PIP)
     set(LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_DIR ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/.venv CACHE INTERNAL "")
+    set(_venv_bin_dir "bin")
+    if(MSVC)
+        set(_venv_bin_dir "Scripts")
+    endif()
+    set(LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_BIN_DIR ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_DIR}/${_venv_bin_dir}
+        CACHE INTERNAL ""
+    )
     set(Python_ROOT_DIR ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_DIR})
     set(CMAKE_REQUIRE_FIND_PACKAGE_Python TRUE)
+    find_program(UV_TOOL_PATH uv)
+    if(UV_TOOL_PATH)
+        set(_pip_install_command ${UV_TOOL_PATH} pip install --prefix
+                                 ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_DIR} CACHE INTERNAL ""
+        )
+        set(_pip_uninstall_command ${UV_TOOL_PATH} pip uninstall --prefix
+                                   ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_DIR} CACHE INTERNAL ""
+        )
+        set(_venv_tool "uv")
+    else()
+        set(_pip_install_command ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_BIN_DIR}/pip install
+            CACHE INTERNAL ""
+        )
+        set(_pip_uninstall_command ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_BIN_DIR}/pip uninstall
+                                   --yes CACHE INTERNAL ""
+        )
+        set(_venv_tool "pip")
+    endif()
     if(NOT EXISTS ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_DIR})
         execute_process(
             COMMAND
                 ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -DPROJECT_BINARY_DIR=${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
-                -Dpython_version=${ogs.minimum_version.python} -P
+                -Dpython_version=${ogs.minimum_version.python}
+                -DUV_TOOL_PATH=${UV_TOOL_PATH} -P
                 ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/cmake/PythonCreateVirtualEnv.cmake
             WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR} COMMAND_ECHO STDOUT
                               ECHO_OUTPUT_VARIABLE ECHO_ERROR_VARIABLE
@@ -23,16 +49,9 @@ if(OGS_USE_PIP)
         endif()
         unset(_OGS_PYTHON_PACKAGES_SHA1 CACHE)
     endif()
-    set(_venv_bin_dir "bin")
-    if(MSVC)
-        set(_venv_bin_dir "Scripts")
-    endif()
-    set(LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_BIN_DIR ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_DIR}/${_venv_bin_dir}
-        CACHE INTERNAL ""
-    )
     # Fixes macOS install issues
     execute_process(
-        COMMAND ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_BIN_DIR}/pip install wheel
+        COMMAND ${_pip_install_command} wheel
         WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
     )
     # Create jupytext config
@@ -124,7 +143,7 @@ function(setup_venv)
         )
         message(
             STATUS
-                "Installing Python packages into local virtual environment..."
+                "Installing Python packages into local virtual environment using ${_venv_tool} ..."
         )
         if(APPLE)
             # CC=/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/cc and this somehow
@@ -132,8 +151,7 @@ function(setup_venv)
             set(_apple_env ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E env CC=clang CXX=clang)
         endif()
         execute_process(
-            COMMAND ${_apple_env} ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_BIN_DIR}/pip install -r
-                    requirements.txt
+            COMMAND ${_apple_env} ${_pip_install_command} -r requirements.txt
             WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
             RESULT_VARIABLE _return_code
             OUTPUT_VARIABLE _out
@@ -152,11 +170,15 @@ function(setup_venv)
             )
         endif()
         if(DEFINED ENV{CI} AND UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
+            set(_pip_gmsh_flags --force-reinstall --pre)
+            if(UV_TOOL_PATH)
+                set(_pip_gmsh_flags --reinstall --prerelease=allow)
+            endif()
             execute_process(
                 COMMAND
-                    ${_apple_env} ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_BIN_DIR}/pip install
-                    --force-reinstall -r
-                    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/Tests/Data/requirements-gmsh-nox.txt
+                    ${_apple_env} ${_pip_install_command} ${_pip_gmsh_flags}
+                    --index-url https://gmsh.info/python-packages-dev-nox
+                    "gmsh>=4.11"
                 WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
                 RESULT_VARIABLE _return_code
                 OUTPUT_VARIABLE _out
@@ -177,8 +199,8 @@ function(setup_venv)
         endif()
         # Uninstall ogs wheel
         execute_process(
-            COMMAND ${_apple_env} ${LOCAL_VIRTUALENV_BIN_DIR}/pip uninstall
-                    --yes ogs WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
+            COMMAND ${_apple_env} ${_pip_uninstall_command} ogs
+            WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
         )
     endif()
 endfunction()
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/test/NotebookTest.cmake b/scripts/cmake/test/NotebookTest.cmake
index a56e0560188..5acb4248597 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/test/NotebookTest.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/test/NotebookTest.cmake
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ function(NotebookTest)
 
     if(NOT DEFINED NotebookTest_RUNTIME)
         set(NotebookTest_RUNTIME 1)
+    elseif(NotebookTest_RUNTIME GREATER 750)
+        # Set a timeout on jobs larger than the default ctest timeout of 1500
+        # (s). The allowed runtime is twice as long as the given RUNTIME
+        # parameter.
+        math(EXPR timeout "${NotebookTest_RUNTIME} * 2")
+        set(timeout TIMEOUT ${timeout})
     endif()
 
     if(DEFINED OGS_CTEST_MAX_RUNTIME)
@@ -131,6 +137,7 @@ function(NotebookTest)
                    ${NotebookTest_DISABLED}
                    LABELS
                    "${labels}"
+                   ${timeout}
                    ENVIRONMENT
                    "CI=1;PYDEVD_DISABLE_FILE_VALIDATION=1"
     )