diff --git a/.azure-pipelines.yml b/.azure-pipelines.yml
index ca7cc5cc7ae..6b4796a0c6a 100644
--- a/.azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/.azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -10,13 +10,16 @@ pr:
 jobs:
 - job:
   variables:
-    WARPX_CI_NUM_MAKE_JOBS: 2
+    BLASPP_HOME: '/usr/local'
+    CEI_SUDO: 'sudo'
+    CEI_TMP: '/tmp/cei'
+    FFTW_HOME: '/usr'
+    LAPACKPP_HOME: '/usr/local'
+    OMP_NUM_THREADS: 1
     WARPX_CI_CCACHE: 'TRUE'
+    WARPX_CI_NUM_MAKE_JOBS: 2
     WARPX_CI_OPENPMD: 'TRUE'
-    FFTW_HOME: '/usr/'
-    BLASPP_HOME: '/usr/local/'
-    LAPACKPP_HOME: '/usr/local/'
-    OMP_NUM_THREADS: 1
+    WARPX_CI_TMP: '/tmp/ci'
 
   strategy:
     matrix:
@@ -42,12 +45,39 @@ jobs:
   timeoutInMinutes: 90
 
   steps:
-  - script: |
+  # set up caches:
+  # - once stored under a key, they become immutable (even if cache content changes)
+  # - for a refresh the key has to change, e.g., hash of a tracked file in the key
+  - task: Cache@2
+    inputs:
+      key: 'Ccache | "$(System.JobName)" | cmake/dependencies/AMReX.cmake | run_test.sh'
+      restoreKeys: |
+         Ccache | "$(System.JobName)" | cmake/dependencies/AMReX.cmake | run_test.sh
+         Ccache | "$(System.JobName)" | cmake/dependencies/AMReX.cmake
+         Ccache | "$(System.JobName)"
+         Ccache
+      path: /home/vsts/.ccache
+      cacheHitVar: CCACHE_CACHE_RESTORED
+    displayName: Cache Ccache Objects
+
+  - task: Cache@2
+    inputs:
+      key: 'Python3 | "$(System.JobName)" | run_test.sh'
+      restoreKeys: |
+         Python3 | "$(System.JobName)" | run_test.sh
+         Python3 | "$(System.JobName)"
+         Python3
+      path: /home/vsts/.local/lib/python3.8
+      cacheHitVar: PYTHON38_CACHE_RESTORED
+    displayName: Cache Python Libraries
+
+  - bash: |
       cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep "model name" | sort -u
-      sudo apt update
+      df -h
       sudo apt install -y ccache gcc gfortran g++ openmpi-bin libopenmpi-dev \
         libfftw3-dev libfftw3-mpi-dev libhdf5-openmpi-dev pkg-config make \
         python3 python3-pip python3-venv python3-setuptools libblas-dev liblapack-dev
+      ccache --set-config=max_size=10.0G
       sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python3 2
       sudo update-alternatives --set python /usr/bin/python3
       python -m pip install --upgrade pip
@@ -57,22 +87,31 @@ jobs:
       python -m pipx ensurepath
       export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
       python -m pip install --upgrade matplotlib mpi4py numpy scipy yt
-      export CEI_SUDO="sudo"
       sudo curl -L -o /usr/local/bin/cmake-easyinstall https://git.io/JvLxY
       sudo chmod a+x /usr/local/bin/cmake-easyinstall
       if [ "${WARPX_CI_OPENPMD:-FALSE}" == "TRUE" ]; then
-        cmake-easyinstall --prefix=/usr/local git+https://github.com/openPMD/openPMD-api.git@0.14.3 \
+        cmake-easyinstall --prefix=/usr/local                   \
+          git+https://github.com/openPMD/openPMD-api.git@0.14.3 \
+          -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=$(which ccache)         \
+          -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE=ON                           \
           -DopenPMD_USE_PYTHON=OFF -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DBUILD_CLI_TOOLS=OFF
         python -m pip install --upgrade openpmd-api
       fi
       if [[ "${WARPX_CI_RZ_OR_NOMPI:-FALSE}" == "TRUE" || "${WARPX_CI_PYTHON_MAIN:-FALSE}" == "TRUE" ]]; then
         cmake-easyinstall --prefix=/usr/local git+https://bitbucket.org/icl/blaspp.git \
+          -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=$(which ccache) \
           -Duse_openmp=OFF -Dbuild_tests=OFF -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE=ON
         cmake-easyinstall --prefix=/usr/local git+https://bitbucket.org/icl/lapackpp.git \
+          -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=$(which ccache) \
           -Duse_cmake_find_lapack=ON -Dbuild_tests=OFF -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE=ON
       fi
+      rm -rf ${CEI_TMP}
+      df -h
     displayName: 'Install dependencies'
 
-  - script: |
+  - bash: |
+      df -h
       ./run_test.sh
+      rm -rf ${WARPX_CI_TMP}
+      df -h
     displayName: 'Build & test'
diff --git a/run_test.sh b/run_test.sh
index 724bdc83c67..6ac7915e211 100755
--- a/run_test.sh
+++ b/run_test.sh
@@ -32,14 +32,19 @@ tests_run=${tests_arg:+--tests=${tests_arg}}
 # Remove contents and link to a previous test directory (intentionally two arguments)
 rm -rf test_dir/* test_dir
 # Create a temporary test directory
-tmp_dir=$(mktemp --help >/dev/null 2>&1 && mktemp -d -t ci-XXXXXXXXXX || mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}"/ci-XXXXXXXXXX)
-if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-    echo "Cannot create temporary directory"
-    exit 1
+if [ -z "${WARPX_CI_TMP}" ]; then
+    tmp_dir=$(mktemp --help >/dev/null 2>&1 && mktemp -d -t ci-XXXXXXXXXX || mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}"/ci-XXXXXXXXXX)
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo "Cannot create temporary directory"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+else
+    tmp_dir=${WARPX_CI_TMP}
 fi
 
 # Copy WarpX into current test directory
-mkdir ${tmp_dir}/warpx
+rm -rf ${tmp_dir}/warpx
+mkdir -p ${tmp_dir}/warpx
 cp -r ./* ${tmp_dir}/warpx
 
 # Link the test directory