diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index ca4ab21ec03..0b11d87bec1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ jobs:
     if: ${{ github.repository == 'spack/spack' && needs.changes.outputs.core == 'true' }}
     needs: [ prechecks ]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/windows_python.yml
+    with:
+      core: ${{ needs.changes.outputs.core }}
   all:
     needs: [ windows, unit-tests, bootstrap, audit-ancient-python ]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yaml
index 7580bbf835a..621a6352d25 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yaml
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ jobs:
         include:
         - python-version: 2.7
           concretizer: original
-          on_develop: false
+          on_develop: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/develop' }}
         - python-version: '3.10'
           concretizer: original
-          on_develop: false
+          on_develop: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/develop' }}
         exclude:
         - python-version: '3.7'
           concretizer: 'clingo'
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ jobs:
           spack bootstrap untrust spack-install
           spack -v solve zlib
     - name: Run unit tests (full suite with coverage)
-      if: ${{ inputs.with_coverage == 'true' }}
       env:
           SPACK_PYTHON: python
           COVERAGE: true
@@ -96,16 +95,7 @@ jobs:
           share/spack/qa/run-unit-tests
           coverage combine
           coverage xml
-    - name: Run unit tests (reduced suite without coverage)
-      if: ${{ inputs.with_coverage == 'false' }}
-      env:
-          SPACK_PYTHON: python
-          ONLY_PACKAGES: true
-          SPACK_TEST_SOLVER: ${{ matrix.concretizer }}
-      run: |
-          share/spack/qa/run-unit-tests
     - uses: codecov/codecov-action@81cd2dc8148241f03f5839d295e000b8f761e378 # @v2.1.0
-      if: ${{ inputs.with_coverage == 'true' }}
       with:
         flags: unittests,linux,${{ matrix.concretizer }}
   # Test shell integration
@@ -150,7 +140,7 @@ jobs:
   # only on PRs modifying core Spack
   rhel8-platform-python:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: ${{ inputs.with_coverage == 'true' }}
+    if: ${{ inputs.with_coverage == 'false' }}
     container: registry.access.redhat.com/ubi8/ubi
     steps:
     - name: Install dependencies
@@ -199,7 +189,6 @@ jobs:
           git --version
           . .github/workflows/setup_git.sh
     - name: Run unit tests (full suite with coverage)
-      if: ${{ inputs.with_coverage == 'true' }}
       env:
           COVERAGE: true
           SPACK_TEST_SOLVER: clingo
@@ -207,15 +196,7 @@ jobs:
           share/spack/qa/run-unit-tests
           coverage combine
           coverage xml
-    - name: Run unit tests (reduced suite without coverage)
-      if: ${{ inputs.with_coverage == 'false' }}
-      env:
-          ONLY_PACKAGES: true
-          SPACK_TEST_SOLVER: clingo
-      run: |
-          share/spack/qa/run-unit-tests
     - uses: codecov/codecov-action@81cd2dc8148241f03f5839d295e000b8f761e378 # @v2.1.0
-      if: ${{ inputs.with_coverage == 'true' }}
       with:
         flags: unittests,linux,clingo
   # Run unit tests on MacOS
@@ -249,21 +230,13 @@ jobs:
         $(which spack) bootstrap untrust spack-install
         $(which spack) solve zlib
         common_args=(--dist loadfile --tx '4*popen//python=./bin/spack-tmpconfig python -u ./bin/spack python' -x)
-        if [ "${{ inputs.with_coverage }}" == "true" ]
-        then
-          coverage run $(which spack) unit-test "${common_args[@]}"
-          coverage combine
-          coverage xml
-          # Delete the symlink going from ./lib/spack/docs/_spack_root back to
-          # the initial directory, since it causes ELOOP errors with codecov/actions@2
-          rm lib/spack/docs/_spack_root
-        else
-          echo "ONLY PACKAGE RECIPES CHANGED [skipping coverage]"
-          $(which spack) unit-test "${common_args[@]}" -m "not maybeslow" -k "test_all_virtual_packages_have_default_providers"
-        fi
+        coverage run $(which spack) unit-test "${common_args[@]}"
+        coverage combine
+        coverage xml
+        # Delete the symlink going from ./lib/spack/docs/_spack_root back to
+        # the initial directory, since it causes ELOOP errors with codecov/actions@2
+        rm lib/spack/docs/_spack_root
     - uses: codecov/codecov-action@81cd2dc8148241f03f5839d295e000b8f761e378 # @v2.1.0
-      if: ${{ inputs.with_coverage == 'true' }}
       with:
         files: ./coverage.xml
         flags: unittests,macos
-
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows_python.yml b/.github/workflows/windows_python.yml
index 82e48370aca..aa6bf51fd68 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows_python.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows_python.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ name: windows
 
 on:
   workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      core:
+        type: string
+        required: true
 
 concurrency:
   group: windows-${{github.ref}}-${{github.event.pull_request.number || github.run_number}}
@@ -13,6 +17,7 @@ defaults:
      powershell Invoke-Expression -Command ".\share\spack\qa\windows_test_setup.ps1"; {0}
 jobs:
   unit-tests:
+    if: ${{ inputs.core == 'false' }}
     runs-on: windows-latest
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@2541b1294d2704b0964813337f33b291d3f8596b
@@ -32,6 +37,7 @@ jobs:
         echo F|xcopy .\spack\share\spack\qa\configuration\windows_config.yaml $env:USERPROFILE\.spack\windows\config.yaml
         spack unit-test --verbose --ignore=lib/spack/spack/test/cmd
   unit-tests-cmd:
+    if: ${{ inputs.core == 'false' }}
     runs-on: windows-latest
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@2541b1294d2704b0964813337f33b291d3f8596b
@@ -70,6 +76,7 @@ jobs:
         spack external find ninja
         spack install abseil-cpp
   make-installer:
+    if: ${{ inputs.core == 'false' }}
     runs-on: windows-latest
     steps:
     - name: Disable Windows Symlinks
@@ -105,6 +112,7 @@ jobs:
         name: Windows Spack Installer
         path: ${{ env.installer_root}}\pkg\Spack.msi
   execute-installer:
+    if: ${{ inputs.core == 'false' }}
     needs: make-installer
     runs-on: windows-latest
     defaults:
diff --git a/share/spack/qa/run-unit-tests b/share/spack/qa/run-unit-tests
index 62cca273bf0..da8334f76b2 100755
--- a/share/spack/qa/run-unit-tests
+++ b/share/spack/qa/run-unit-tests
@@ -46,10 +46,7 @@ $coverage_run $(which spack) python -c "import spack.pkg.builtin.mpileaks; repr(
 #-----------------------------------------------------------
 # Run unit tests with code coverage
 #-----------------------------------------------------------
-if [[ "$ONLY_PACKAGES" == "true" ]]; then
-  echo "ONLY PACKAGE RECIPES CHANGED [running only package sanity]"
-  export PYTEST_ADDOPTS='-k "test_all_virtual_packages_have_default_providers" -m "not maybeslow"'
-elif [[ "$SPACK_TEST_SOLVER" == "original" ]]; then
+if [[ "$SPACK_TEST_SOLVER" == "original" ]]; then
   echo "ORIGINAL CONCRETIZER [skipping slow unit tests]"
   export PYTEST_ADDOPTS='-m "not maybeslow"'
 fi