diff --git a/.github/workflows/xtest.yml b/.github/workflows/xtest.yml
index a613020d..6c31e6fe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/xtest.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/xtest.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           repository: opentdf/tests
           path: otdftests # use different name bc other repos might have tests directories
+          ref: kas-registry-fix
       - name: Set up Node 20
         uses: actions/setup-node@v3
         with:
diff --git a/xtest/abac.py b/xtest/abac.py
index c3d925f6..d9f75e41 100644
--- a/xtest/abac.py
+++ b/xtest/abac.py
@@ -169,8 +169,7 @@ def kas_registry_create(self, url: str, key: str) -> KasEntry:
         else:
             with open(key, "r") as file:
                 keydata = file.read()
-                cmd += [f"--public-key-local={keydata}"]
-
+                cmd += [f'--public-keys={{"cached": {{"keys": [{{"pem":{json.dumps(keydata)}, "kid": "r1", "alg": 1}}]}}}}']
         logger.info(f"kr-create [{' '.join(cmd)}]")
         process = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
         code = process.wait()