diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 55a5a78f70..0000000000
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,117 +0,0 @@
-environment:
-  matrix:
-    - TARGET_ARCH: x64
-      CONDA_PY: 3.7
-      CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN: C:\\Miniconda37-x64
-      APPVEYOR_BUILD_WORKER_IMAGE: Visual Studio 2017
-      platform: x64
-      SHARED: OFF
-
-    - TARGET_ARCH: x86
-      CONDA_PY: 3.7
-      CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN: C:\\Miniconda37
-      APPVEYOR_BUILD_WORKER_IMAGE: Visual Studio 2017
-      platform: x86
-      SHARED: ON
-
-configuration:
-#  - Debug
-  - Release
-
-# Clone directory.
-clone_folder: c:\projects\openpmd-api
-
-# Fetch repository as zip archive.
-shallow_clone: false
-
-# Set the clone depth.
-clone_depth: 1
-
-# Build tags (GitHub only)
-skip_tags: false
-
-branches:
-  except:
-    - azure_install
-    - coverity_scan
-    - gh-pages
-
-init:
-  # Print AppVeyor environment variables
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR%"
-  - cmd: echo "%CI%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_API_URL%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_ACCOUNT_NAME%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_BUILD_WORKER_IMAGE%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_PROJECT_ID%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_PROJECT_NAME%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_PROJECT_SLUG%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_BUILD_ID%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_BUILD_NUMBER%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_BUILD_VERSION%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_PULL_REQUEST_TITLE%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_JOB_ID%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_REPO_PROVIDER%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_REPO_SCM%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_REPO_NAME%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_REPO_BRANCH%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_REPO_TAG%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_REPO_TAG_NAME%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_REPO_COMMIT%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_REPO_COMMIT_TIMESTAMP%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_REPO_COMMIT_MESSAGE%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_REPO_COMMIT_MESSAGE_EXTENDED%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_SCHEDULED_BUILD%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_FORCED_BUILD%"
-  - cmd: echo "%APPVEYOR_RE_BUILD%"
-  - cmd: echo "%PLATFORM%"
-  - cmd: echo "%TARGET_ARCH%"
-  - cmd: echo "%CONFIGURATION%"
-  - cmd: echo "%SHARED%"
-
-install:
-  # Cywin's git breaks conda-build. (see https://github.com/conda-forge/conda-smithy-feedstock/pull/2)
-  - cmd: rmdir C:\cygwin /s /q
-
-  # Add path, activate `conda` and update conda.
-  - cmd: call %CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN%\Scripts\activate.bat
-
-  - cmd: set PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
-
-  # Add our channels.
-  - cmd: conda config --set show_channel_urls true
-  - cmd: conda config --add channels defaults
-  - cmd: conda config --append channels conda-forge
-
-  # Configure the VM.
-  - cmd: conda install -n root --quiet --yes numpy cmake hdf5 python=%CONDA_PY%
-  # ADIOS2 build only for 64bit Windows
-  - cmd: if "%TARGET_ARCH%"=="x64" conda install -n root --quiet --yes adios2 python=%CONDA_PY%
-
-before_build:
-  - cmd: cd C:\projects\openpmd-api
-  - cmd: mkdir build
-  - cmd: cd build
-
-  # Download example files
-  - ps: ..\share\openPMD\download_samples.ps1
-
-  # Compiler & Generator Selection
-  - cmd: if "%APPVEYOR_BUILD_WORKER_IMAGE%"=="Visual Studio 2017" set OPENPMD_CMAKE_GENERATOR=Visual Studio 15 2017
-  - cmd: if "%APPVEYOR_BUILD_WORKER_IMAGE%"=="Visual Studio 2019" set OPENPMD_CMAKE_GENERATOR=Visual Studio 16 2019
-  - cmd: if "%TARGET_ARCH%"=="x64" set OPENPMD_CMAKE_GENERATOR=%OPENPMD_CMAKE_GENERATOR% Win64
-#  - cmd: if "%TARGET_ARCH%"=="x86" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 15.9\VC\vcvarsall.bat" x86
-#  - cmd: if "%TARGET_ARCH%"=="x64" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 15.9\VC\vcvarsall.bat" amd64
-
-  # CMake configure
-  - cmd: cmake -G "%OPENPMD_CMAKE_GENERATOR%" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=%CONFIGURATION% -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=%SHARED% -DBUILD_TESTING=ON -DopenPMD_USE_PYTHON=ON -DPython_EXECUTABLE="%CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN%\python.exe" -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="%CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN%" -DCMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR="Library\bin" ".."
-
-build_script:
-  - cmd: cmake --build . --config %CONFIGURATION% -j 2
-  - cmd: cmake --build . --config %CONFIGURATION% --target install
-
-test_script:
-  - cmd: ctest -V -C %CONFIGURATION%
-  - cmd: call %CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN%\python.exe -c "import openpmd_api; print(openpmd_api.__version__); print(openpmd_api.variants)"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dependencies/conda_win32.yml b/.github/workflows/dependencies/conda_win32.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8838362e3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/dependencies/conda_win32.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# This is a Conda environment file.
+#
+# Activating and installing this environment will provide all dependencies
+# that are needed for full-feature development:
+# - conda env create --file conda.yml
+# - conda activate openpmd-api-dev
+#
+# If you need more packages in that environment, e.g. jupyter, run:
+# - mamba install -y -c conda-forge jupyter jupyterlab dask-labextension
+#
+
+name: openpmd-api-win32-dev
+channels:
+  - defaults
+dependencies:
+  - curl
+  - cmake
+  - git
+  - hdf5
+  - ninja
+  - numpy
+  - pandas
+  - pip
+  - python>=3.8
+
+# just a note for later hackery, we could install pip packages inside the env, too:
+#  - pip:
+#    - "-r requirements.txt"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index 5d132a622b..284f45c221 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -77,3 +77,29 @@ jobs:
 
 # add before install, and fix Python path:
 # ctest --test-dir build -C Debug --output-on-failure
+
+  build_win_32bit:
+    name: MSVC 32bit
+    runs-on: windows-2019
+    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    env:
+      CMAKE_GENERATOR: "Visual Studio 16 2019"
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
+      name: Setup conda
+      with:
+        architecture: "x86"
+        auto-update-conda: true
+        activate-environment: openpmd-api-win32-dev
+        environment-file: .github/workflows/dependencies/conda_win32.yml
+        channels: defaults
+        channel-priority: true
+    - name: Build & Install
+      run: |
+        cmake -S . -B build               `
+              -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release  `
+              -DopenPMD_USE_MPI=OFF
+        cmake --build build --config Release --parallel 2
+        ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure -C Release
+        cmake --build build --config Release --target install
diff --git a/conda.yml b/conda.yml
index e82567b2ae..62177ac8e7 100644
--- a/conda.yml
+++ b/conda.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ name: openpmd-api-dev
 channels:
   - conda-forge
 dependencies:
-  - adios=*=mpi_openmpi_*
   - adios2=*=mpi_openmpi_*
 #  - catch2  # shipped internally
   - ccache
diff --git a/conda_nompi.yml b/conda_nompi.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c504062c29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conda_nompi.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# This is a Conda environment file.
+#
+# Activating and installing this environment will provide all dependencies
+# that are needed for full-feature development:
+# - conda env create --file conda.yml
+# - conda activate openpmd-api-dev
+#
+# If you need more packages in that environment, e.g. jupyter, run:
+# - mamba install -y -c conda-forge jupyter jupyterlab dask-labextension
+#
+
+name: openpmd-api-nompi-dev
+channels:
+  - conda-forge
+dependencies:
+  - adios2=*=nompi*
+#  - catch2  # shipped internally
+  - ccache
+  - curl
+  - cmake
+  - compilers
+  - dask
+  - doxygen
+  - git
+  - hdf5=*=nompi*
+  - mamba
+  - make
+  - ninja
+  - numpy
+  - pandas
+  - pkg-config
+  - pip
+  - pre-commit
+  - pyarrow  # for dask
+#  - pybind11  # shipped internally
+  - python>=3.8
+
+# just a note for later hackery, we could install pip packages inside the env, too:
+#  - pip:
+#    - "-r requirements.txt"