diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 230d4590d..7e3c9872d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -18,4 +18,4 @@ jobs:
         with:
           flakehub: true
       - uses: DeterminateSystems/flakehub-cache-action@main
-      - run: nix build -L
+      - run: nix build . .#binaryTarball -L
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8d3aa5d01..6485288e8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ on:
       - detsys-main
       - main
       - master
+  merge_group:
 
 permissions:
   id-token: "write"
@@ -30,11 +31,13 @@ jobs:
       os: UbuntuLatest32Cores128G
 
   build_aarch64-linux:
+    if: github.event_name == 'merge_group'
     uses: ./.github/workflows/build.yml
     with:
       os: UbuntuLatest32Cores128GArm
 
   build_x86_64-darwin:
+    if: github.event_name == 'merge_group'
     uses: ./.github/workflows/build.yml
     with:
       os: macos-13
@@ -51,24 +54,27 @@ jobs:
       os: UbuntuLatest32Cores128G
 
   test_aarch64-linux:
+    if: github.event_name == 'merge_group'
     uses: ./.github/workflows/test.yml
     needs: build_aarch64-linux
     with:
       os: UbuntuLatest32Cores128GArm
 
   test_x86_64-darwin:
+    if: github.event_name == 'merge_group'
     uses: ./.github/workflows/test.yml
     needs: build_aarch64-darwin
     with:
       os: macos-13
 
   test_aarch64-darwin:
+    if: github.event_name == 'merge_group'
     uses: ./.github/workflows/test.yml
     needs: build_aarch64-darwin
     with:
       os: macos-latest
 
-  vm_tests:
+  vm_tests_smoke:
     needs: build_x86_64-linux
     runs-on: UbuntuLatest32Cores128G
     steps:
@@ -85,7 +91,28 @@ jobs:
             .#hydraJobs.tests.tarballFlakes \
             ;
 
+  vm_tests_all:
+    if: github.event_name == 'merge_group'
+    needs: build_x86_64-linux
+    runs-on: UbuntuLatest32Cores128G
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: DeterminateSystems/nix-installer-action@main
+        with:
+          flakehub: true
+      - uses: DeterminateSystems/flakehub-cache-action@main
+      - run: |
+          nix build -L --keep-going \
+            $(nix flake show --json \
+              | jq -r '
+                .hydraJobs.tests
+                | with_entries(select(.value.type == "derivation"))
+                | keys[]
+                | ".#hydraJobs.tests." + .'
+              | head -n5) # FIXME: for testing the merge queue
+
   flake_regressions:
+    if: github.event_name == 'merge_group'
     needs: build_x86_64-linux
     runs-on: UbuntuLatest32Cores128G
     steps:
@@ -105,4 +132,4 @@ jobs:
         with:
           flakehub: true
       - uses: DeterminateSystems/flakehub-cache-action@main
-      - run: nix build -L --out-link ./new-nix && PATH=$(pwd)/new-nix/bin:$PATH MAX_FLAKES=25 flake-regressions/eval-all.sh
+      - run: nix build -L --out-link ./new-nix && PATH=$(pwd)/new-nix/bin:$PATH MAX_FLAKES=50 flake-regressions/eval-all.sh