diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index d8aa860..9ee937e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -27,5 +27,8 @@ jobs:
               uses: actions/setup-python@v5
               with:
                   python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+            - name: Make build
+              run: make build
             - name: Make run-local
               run: make run-local
+          
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e4153e5..8305161 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ version-patch version-minor version-major: .bumpversion.cfg ## increases service
 
 .PHONY: compose-spec
 compose-spec: ## runs ooil to assemble the docker-compose.yml file
-	@docker run -it --rm -v $(PWD):/${DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME} \
+	@docker run --rm -v $(PWD):/${DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME} \
 		-u $(shell id -u):$(shell id -g) \
 		itisfoundation/ci-service-integration-library:v1.0.1-dev-33 \
 		sh -c "cd /${DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME} && ooil compose"
diff --git a/docker_scripts/dakota-start.py b/docker_scripts/dakota-start.py
index f3f4a1e..5ed05ef 100755
--- a/docker_scripts/dakota-start.py
+++ b/docker_scripts/dakota-start.py
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ def __init__(self):
             is_initiator=True,
         )
 
-        self.clean_output(self.output0_dir_path)
+        if self.output0_dir_path.exists():
+            self.clean_output(self.output0_dir_path)
 
     def clean_output(self, dir_path):
         for item in dir_path.iterdir():
diff --git a/validation/inputs/input_0/.gitignore b/validation/inputs/input_0/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/validation/outputs/output_0/.gitignore b/validation/outputs/output_0/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29