diff --git a/.github/workflows/linter.yml b/.github/workflows/linter.yml
index 05470118..f5456c80 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linter.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linter.yml
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 name: Lint
 
+# a branch with a pull request (also one stacked on another) is tested by its
+# pull_request run; push runs for every branch tested each commit twice
 on:
   push:
-    branches: ['**']
-  pull_request:
     branches: [master]
+  pull_request:
 
 # the jobs only read the code
 permissions:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 7048be0d..e65e22ac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 name: Test Suite
 
+# a branch with a pull request (also one stacked on another) is tested by its
+# pull_request run; push runs for every branch tested each commit twice
 on:
   push:
-    branches: ['**']
-  pull_request:
     branches: [master]
+  pull_request:
 
 # the jobs only read the code
 permissions: