diff --git a/.buildkite/pipeline.yml b/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
index 22ad4e43e3..eeea487b6b 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ steps:
           --job_id sphere_baroclinic_wave_rhoe
         artifact_paths: "sphere_baroclinic_wave_rhoe/output_active/*"
 
-      - label: ":computer: no lim ARS baroclinic wave (ρe) equilmoist"
+      - label: ":computer: no lim baroclinic wave (ρe) equilmoist"
         command: >
           julia --color=yes --project=examples examples/hybrid/driver.jl
           --config_file $CONFIG_PATH/sphere_baroclinic_wave_rhoe_equilmoist.yml
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ steps:
         agents:
           slurm_constraint: icelake|cascadelake|skylake|epyc
 
-      - label: ":computer: no lim ARS baroclinic wave (ρe) equilmoist (deep sphere)"
+      - label: ":computer: no lim baroclinic wave (ρe) equilmoist (deep sphere)"
         command: >
           julia --color=yes --project=examples examples/hybrid/driver.jl
           --config_file $CONFIG_PATH/deep_sphere_baroclinic_wave_rhoe_equilmoist.yml
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ steps:
           --job_id sphere_held_suarez_rhoe_hightop
         artifact_paths: "sphere_held_suarez_rhoe_hightop/output_active/*"
 
-      - label: ":computer: no lim ARS held suarez (ρe) equilmoist hightop sponge"
+      - label: ":computer: no lim held suarez (ρe) equilmoist hightop sponge"
         command: >
           julia --color=yes --project=examples examples/hybrid/driver.jl
           --config_file $CONFIG_PATH/sphere_held_suarez_rhoe_equilmoist_hightop_sponge.yml
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ steps:
         #retry:
         #  automatic: true
 
-      - label: ":computer: MPI no lim ARS aquaplanet (ρe) equilmoist clearsky radiation"
+      - label: ":computer: MPI no lim aquaplanet (ρe) equilmoist clearsky radiation"
         command: >
           srun julia --color=yes --project=examples examples/hybrid/driver.jl
           --config_file $MPI_CONFIG_PATH/mpi_sphere_aquaplanet_rhoe_equilmoist_clearsky.yml
@@ -476,27 +476,6 @@ steps:
   - group: "Configs"
     steps:
 
-      - label: ":computer: Test IO"
-        command: >
-          julia --color=yes --project=examples --threads=8 examples/hybrid/driver.jl
-          --config_file $CONFIG_PATH/test_io.yml
-          --job_id test_io
-        artifact_paths: "test_io/output_active/*"
-        agents:
-          slurm_cpus_per_task: 8
-
-      - label: ":computer: MPI io test"
-        command: >
-          srun julia --color=yes --project=examples examples/hybrid/driver.jl
-          --config_file $CONFIG_PATH/test_mpi_io.yml
-          --job_id test_mpi_io
-        artifact_paths: "test_mpi_io/output_active/*"
-        env:
-          CLIMACOMMS_CONTEXT: "MPI"
-        agents:
-          slurm_ntasks: 2
-          slurm_mem: 16G
-
       # TODO: we should somehow decouple this unit test from the perf env / scripts
       - label: ":computer: checkbounds"
         command: >
diff --git a/config/model_configs/test_io.yml b/config/model_configs/test_io.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index c0f8650417..0000000000
--- a/config/model_configs/test_io.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-vert_diff: "true"
-surface_setup: "DefaultExchangeCoefficients"
-moist: "equil"
-precip_model: "0M"
-rad: "clearsky"
-t_end: "2hours"
-dt_save_to_sol: "1hours"
-dt_save_state_to_disk: "1hours"
diff --git a/config/model_configs/test_mpi_io.yml b/config/model_configs/test_mpi_io.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 04899a813d..0000000000
--- a/config/model_configs/test_mpi_io.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-t_end: "2hours"
-dt_save_to_sol: "1hours"
-dt_save_state_to_disk: "1hours"