diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit-tests-refresh.yml b/.github/workflows/unit-tests-refresh.yml
index 4b4bd38419dc..99db6e66b8e0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit-tests-refresh.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit-tests-refresh.yml
@@ -24,26 +24,30 @@ jobs:
         timeout-minutes: 10
         run: containers/unit-tests/build
 
-      - name: Run pytest-cov test
-        timeout-minutes: 15
-        run: containers/unit-tests/start --verbose --env=CC=gcc --image-tag=latest --make pytest-cov
-
       - name: Run amd64 gcc check-memory test
         timeout-minutes: 20
         run: containers/unit-tests/start --verbose --env=CC=gcc --image-tag=latest --make check-memory
 
-      - name: Run i386 clang check-memory test
+      - name: Run amd64 clang check-memory test
         timeout-minutes: 20
         # HACK: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=452758
-        run: containers/unit-tests/start --verbose --env=CC=clang --env=CFLAGS='-O2 -gdwarf-4' --image-tag=i386 --make check-memory
+        run: containers/unit-tests/start --verbose --env=CC=clang --env=CFLAGS='-O2 -gdwarf-4' --image-tag=latest --make check-memory
+
+      - name: Run i386 clang check test
+        timeout-minutes: 15
+        run: containers/unit-tests/start --verbose --env=CC=clang --image-tag=i386 --make check
 
-      - name: Run amd64 clang distcheck test
+      - name: Run i386 gcc check test
         timeout-minutes: 15
-        run: containers/unit-tests/start --verbose --env=CC=clang --image-tag=latest --make distcheck
+        run: containers/unit-tests/start --verbose --env=CC=clang --image-tag=i386 --make check
 
-      - name: Run i386 gcc distcheck test
+      - name: Run amd64 gcc check/distcheck test
         timeout-minutes: 15
-        run: containers/unit-tests/start --verbose --env=CC=clang --image-tag=i386 --make distcheck
+        run: "containers/unit-tests/start --verbose --env=CC=clang --image-tag=i386 --make 'check distcheck'"
+
+      - name: Run pytest-cov test
+        timeout-minutes: 15
+        run: containers/unit-tests/start --verbose --env=CC=gcc --image-tag=latest --make pytest-cov
 
       - name: Log into container registry
         run: podman login -u ${{ github.actor }} -p ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }} ghcr.io
diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
index d0f79a1b788f..093685efcbbb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         startarg:
-          - { make: 'check-memory', cc: 'clang', tag: 'i386' }
+          # avoid check-memory on i386, it has literally thousands of uninteresting/wrong errors
+          - { make: 'check-memory', cc: 'clang', tag: 'latest' }
           - { make: 'check-memory', cc: 'gcc', tag: 'latest' }
-          - { make: 'distcheck', cc: 'clang', tag: 'latest' }
-          - { make: 'distcheck', cc: 'gcc', tag: 'i386' }
+          - { make: 'check', cc: 'clang', tag: 'i386' }
+          - { make: 'check ', cc: 'gcc', tag: 'i386' }
+          - { make: 'check distcheck', cc: 'gcc', tag: 'latest' }
           - { make: 'pytest-cov', cc: 'gcc', tag: 'latest' }
-          - { make: 'check', cc: 'gcc', tag: 'latest' }
       fail-fast: false
     timeout-minutes: 60
     steps: