diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 2ee4105a..24567d39 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -39,7 +39,45 @@ env:
   CARGO_MUTANTS_MINIMUM_TEST_TIMEOUT: 60
 
 jobs:
+  # Before anything else, run a quick test on just stable: this is significantly
+  # faster than Windows or macOS and should catch most issues, and lets us get
+  # started on the longer-running mutants and other tests.
+  #
+  # Also, build a Linux binary that we can use for the later mutants runs.
+  quick-test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@master
+        with:
+          toolchain: beta
+      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
+      - name: Show Cargo and rustc version
+        run: |
+          cargo --version
+          rustc --version
+      # TODO: Maybe also check clippy and rustfmt here.
+      - name: Build
+        run: cargo build --all-targets
+      - uses: taiki-e/install-action@v2
+        name: Install nextest using install-action
+        with:
+          tool: nextest
+      - name: Test
+        run: cargo test --workspace
+      - name: Build release binary
+        run: cargo build --release
+      - name: Upload binary artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: cargo-mutants-linux
+          path: |
+            target/release/cargo-mutants
+
   test:
+    needs: [quick-test]
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [macOS-latest, ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
@@ -68,6 +106,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cargo test --workspace
 
   minimal-versions:
+    needs: [quick-test]
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [macOS-latest, ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
@@ -86,6 +125,7 @@ jobs:
 
   # Run `cargo update` and check the tests still pass
   maximal-versions:
+    needs: [quick-test]
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [macOS-latest, ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
@@ -102,6 +142,7 @@ jobs:
       - run: cargo test
 
   tests-from-tarball:
+    needs: [quick-test]
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu-latest]
@@ -136,6 +177,7 @@ jobs:
   # their MSRV, and on every platform because there are platform-specific
   # dependencies.
   install:
+    needs: [quick-test]
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [macOS-latest, ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
@@ -154,29 +196,10 @@ jobs:
       - run: cargo install --locked --path .
       - run: cargo install --path .
 
-  release-binary:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
-      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@master
-        with:
-          toolchain: beta
-      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
-      - name: Build
-        run: cargo build --release
-      - name: Upload binary artifact
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
-        with:
-          name: cargo-mutants-linux
-          path: |
-            target/release/cargo-mutants
-
   pr-mutants:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [release-binary]
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    needs: [quick-test]
     strategy:
       matrix:
         test_tool: [cargo, nextest]
@@ -217,7 +240,7 @@ jobs:
 
   cargo-mutants:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [test, release-binary]
+    needs: [quick-test]
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false # We want to get all the mutant failures
       matrix:
@@ -266,12 +289,12 @@ jobs:
   overall-result:
     needs:
       [
+        quick-test,
         test,
         minimal-versions,
         maximal-versions,
         tests-from-tarball,
         install,
-        release-binary,
         pr-mutants,
         cargo-mutants,
         typos,