diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 70a2d25fac..7dbec868e5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ jobs:
 
   build:
     needs: set-nightly
-    # `always` *must* be used to continue even after a dependency has been skipped
-    if: always() && (github.event_name != 'schedule' || github.repository == 'leanprover/lean4')
+    # `failure` to continue even after a dependency was skipped
+    if: (success() || failure()) && (github.event_name != 'schedule' || github.repository == 'leanprover/lean4')
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     defaults:
       run:
@@ -236,8 +236,8 @@ jobs:
     # When GitHub says "If a job fails, all jobs that need it are skipped unless
     # the jobs use a conditional expression that causes the job to continue.", don't believe
     # their lies. It's actually the entire closure (i.e. including `set-nightly`) that
-    # must succeed for subsequent to be run without `always()`.
-    if: always() && needs.build.result == 'success' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
+    # must succeed for subsequent to be run without the conditional.
+    if: (success() || failure()) && needs.build.result == 'success' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: build
     steps: