diff --git a/tach.toml b/tach.toml
index fdc80a3888..7861ed1fe6 100644
--- a/tach.toml
+++ b/tach.toml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ source_roots = [
     "src",
 ]
 exact = true
-#forbid_circular_dependencies = true
+forbid_circular_dependencies = true
 
 [[modules]]
 path = "gt4py._core"
diff --git a/tests/next_tests/definitions.py b/tests/next_tests/definitions.py
index 6ffbc667bb..522250cafc 100644
--- a/tests/next_tests/definitions.py
+++ b/tests/next_tests/definitions.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import dataclasses
 import enum
 import importlib
+from typing import Final
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -53,11 +54,17 @@ class ProgramBackendId(_PythonObjectIdMixin, str, enum.Enum):
 
 @dataclasses.dataclass(frozen=True)
 class EmbeddedDummyBackend:
+    name: str
     allocator: next_allocators.FieldBufferAllocatorProtocol
+    executor: Final = None
 
 
-numpy_execution = EmbeddedDummyBackend(next_allocators.StandardCPUFieldBufferAllocator())
-cupy_execution = EmbeddedDummyBackend(next_allocators.StandardGPUFieldBufferAllocator())
+numpy_execution = EmbeddedDummyBackend(
+    "EmbeddedNumPy", next_allocators.StandardCPUFieldBufferAllocator()
+)
+cupy_execution = EmbeddedDummyBackend(
+    "EmbeddedCuPy", next_allocators.StandardGPUFieldBufferAllocator()
+)
 
 
 class EmbeddedIds(_PythonObjectIdMixin, str, enum.Enum):
diff --git a/tests/next_tests/integration_tests/feature_tests/iterator_tests/test_extractors.py b/tests/next_tests/integration_tests/feature_tests/iterator_tests/test_extractors.py
index 7358ab3d8f..2356e9c781 100644
--- a/tests/next_tests/integration_tests/feature_tests/iterator_tests/test_extractors.py
+++ b/tests/next_tests/integration_tests/feature_tests/iterator_tests/test_extractors.py
@@ -6,15 +6,15 @@
 # Please, refer to the LICENSE file in the root directory.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 import typing
 
 import pytest
 
 from gt4py import next as gtx
-from gt4py.next import common
 from gt4py.next.iterator.transforms import extractors
 
-from next_tests.integration_tests import cases
 from next_tests.integration_tests.feature_tests.ffront_tests.ffront_test_utils import (
     IDim,
     JDim,
@@ -22,53 +22,14 @@
 )
 
 
-if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from types import ModuleType
-    from typing import Optional
-
-try:
-    import dace
-
-    from gt4py.next.program_processors.runners.dace import run_dace_cpu
-except ImportError:
-    from gt4py.next import backend as next_backend
-
-    dace: Optional[ModuleType] = None
-    run_dace_cpu: Optional[next_backend.Backend] = None
-
-
-@pytest.fixture(params=[pytest.param(run_dace_cpu, marks=pytest.mark.requires_dace), gtx.gtfn_cpu])
-def gtir_dace_backend(request):
-    yield request.param
-
-
-@pytest.fixture
-def cartesian(request, gtir_dace_backend):
-    if gtir_dace_backend is None:
-        yield None
-
-    yield cases.Case(
-        backend=gtir_dace_backend,
-        offset_provider={
-            "Ioff": IDim,
-            "Joff": JDim,
-            "Koff": KDim,
-        },
-        default_sizes={IDim: 10, JDim: 10, KDim: 10},
-        grid_type=common.GridType.CARTESIAN,
-        allocator=gtir_dace_backend.allocator,
-    )
-
-
-@pytest.mark.skipif(dace is None, reason="DaCe not found")
-def test_input_names_extractor_cartesian(cartesian):
-    @gtx.field_operator(backend=cartesian.backend)
+def test_input_names_extractor_cartesian():
+    @gtx.field_operator
     def testee_op(
         a: gtx.Field[[IDim, JDim, KDim], gtx.int],
     ) -> gtx.Field[[IDim, JDim, KDim], gtx.int]:
         return a
 
-    @gtx.program(backend=cartesian.backend)
+    @gtx.program
     def testee(
         a: gtx.Field[[IDim, JDim, KDim], gtx.int],
         b: gtx.Field[[IDim, JDim, KDim], gtx.int],
@@ -81,15 +42,14 @@ def testee(
     assert input_field_names == {"a", "b"}
 
 
-@pytest.mark.skipif(dace is None, reason="DaCe not found")
-def test_output_names_extractor(cartesian):
-    @gtx.field_operator(backend=cartesian.backend)
+def test_output_names_extractor():
+    @gtx.field_operator
     def testee_op(
         a: gtx.Field[[IDim, JDim, KDim], gtx.int],
     ) -> gtx.Field[[IDim, JDim, KDim], gtx.int]:
         return a
 
-    @gtx.program(backend=cartesian.backend)
+    @gtx.program
     def testee(
         a: gtx.Field[[IDim, JDim, KDim], gtx.int],
         b: gtx.Field[[IDim, JDim, KDim], gtx.int],
diff --git a/tests/next_tests/integration_tests/multi_feature_tests/ffront_tests/test_ffront_fvm_nabla.py b/tests/next_tests/integration_tests/multi_feature_tests/ffront_tests/test_ffront_fvm_nabla.py
index 6c6ca7e4bc..3dd3e18a33 100644
--- a/tests/next_tests/integration_tests/multi_feature_tests/ffront_tests/test_ffront_fvm_nabla.py
+++ b/tests/next_tests/integration_tests/multi_feature_tests/ffront_tests/test_ffront_fvm_nabla.py
@@ -63,11 +63,9 @@ def pnabla(
 
 
 def test_ffront_compute_zavgS(exec_alloc_descriptor):
-    _, allocator = exec_alloc_descriptor.executor, exec_alloc_descriptor.allocator
+    setup = nabla_setup(allocator=exec_alloc_descriptor.allocator)
 
-    setup = nabla_setup(allocator=allocator)
-
-    zavgS = gtx.zeros({Edge: setup.edges_size}, allocator=allocator)
+    zavgS = gtx.zeros({Edge: setup.edges_size}, allocator=exec_alloc_descriptor.allocator)
 
     compute_zavgS.with_backend(
         None if exec_alloc_descriptor.executor is None else exec_alloc_descriptor
@@ -83,12 +81,10 @@ def test_ffront_compute_zavgS(exec_alloc_descriptor):
 
 
 def test_ffront_nabla(exec_alloc_descriptor):
-    _, allocator = exec_alloc_descriptor.executor, exec_alloc_descriptor.allocator
-
-    setup = nabla_setup(allocator=allocator)
+    setup = nabla_setup(allocator=exec_alloc_descriptor.allocator)
 
-    pnabla_MXX = gtx.zeros({Vertex: setup.nodes_size}, allocator=allocator)
-    pnabla_MYY = gtx.zeros({Vertex: setup.nodes_size}, allocator=allocator)
+    pnabla_MXX = gtx.zeros({Vertex: setup.nodes_size}, allocator=exec_alloc_descriptor.allocator)
+    pnabla_MYY = gtx.zeros({Vertex: setup.nodes_size}, allocator=exec_alloc_descriptor.allocator)
 
     pnabla.with_backend(None if exec_alloc_descriptor.executor is None else exec_alloc_descriptor)(
         setup.input_field,
diff --git a/tests/next_tests/unit_tests/program_processor_tests/runners_tests/dace_tests/transformation_tests/test_distributed_buffer_relocator.py b/tests/next_tests/unit_tests/program_processor_tests/runners_tests/dace_tests/transformation_tests/test_distributed_buffer_relocator.py
index 9241bae4bf..9f716baa90 100644
--- a/tests/next_tests/unit_tests/program_processor_tests/runners_tests/dace_tests/transformation_tests/test_distributed_buffer_relocator.py
+++ b/tests/next_tests/unit_tests/program_processor_tests/runners_tests/dace_tests/transformation_tests/test_distributed_buffer_relocator.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from . import util
 
 
-# dace = pytest.importorskip("dace")
+dace = pytest.importorskip("dace")
 from dace.sdfg import nodes as dace_nodes
 import dace