diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_steps.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_steps.yml
index 017307d57..30ff4a79e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_steps.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_steps.yml
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ on:
         type: string
       OPENEXR_BUILD_TOOLS:
         type: string
-      OPENEXR_BUILD_PYTHON:
-        type: string
       OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_IMATH:
         type: string
       OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_DEFLATE:
@@ -90,7 +88,6 @@ jobs:
                 -DOPENEXR_INSTALL_DOCS=${{ inputs.OPENEXR_INSTALL_DOCS }} \
                 -DOPENEXR_BUILD_EXAMPLES=${{ inputs.OPENEXR_BUILD_EXAMPLES }} \
                 -DOPENEXR_BUILD_TOOLS=${{ inputs.OPENEXR_BUILD_TOOLS }} \
-                -DOPENEXR_BUILD_PYTHON=${{ inputs.OPENEXR_BUILD_PYTHON }} \
                 -DOPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_IMATH=${{ inputs.OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_IMATH }} \
                 -DOPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_DEFLATE=${{ inputs.OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_DEFLATE }} \
                 -DBUILD_TESTING=${{ inputs.BUILD_TESTING }} \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_workflow.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_workflow.yml
index 5987f52a1..9cc64e0e1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_workflow.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_workflow.yml
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ name: CI
 # - markdown/doc changes
 # - changes to the website, *except* for "website/src", since that
 #   code needs validation.  The website has a separate workflow
-# - changes to the bazel config, since it has its own workflow
-# - changes to the python bindings
+# - changes to the bazel config (it has its own workflow
+# - changes to the python bindings (they have their own workflow)
 # - changes to workflows other than this one
 
 on:
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ jobs:
       OPENEXR_INSTALL_DOCS: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_INSTALL_DOCS || 'ON' }}
       OPENEXR_BUILD_EXAMPLES: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_BUILD_EXAMPLES || 'ON' }}
       OPENEXR_BUILD_TOOLS: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_BUILD_TOOLS || 'ON' }}
-      OPENEXR_BUILD_PYTHON: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_BUILD_PYTHON || 'OFF' }}
       OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_IMATH: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_IMATH || 'OFF' }}
       OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_DEFLATE: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_DEFLATE || 'OFF' }}
       BUILD_TESTING: ${{ matrix.BUILD_TESTING || 'ON' }}
@@ -139,7 +138,6 @@ jobs:
       OPENEXR_INSTALL_DOCS: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_INSTALL_DOCS || 'ON' }}
       OPENEXR_BUILD_EXAMPLES: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_BUILD_EXAMPLES || 'ON' }}
       OPENEXR_BUILD_TOOLS: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_BUILD_TOOLS || 'ON' }}
-      OPENEXR_BUILD_PYTHON: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_BUILD_PYTHON || 'OFF' }}
       OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_IMATH: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_IMATH || 'OFF' }}
       OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_DEFLATE: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_DEFLATE || 'OFF' }}
       BUILD_TESTING: ${{ matrix.BUILD_TESTING || 'ON' }}
@@ -187,7 +185,7 @@ jobs:
       # Set values for the "inputs:" as defined in ci_steps.yml
       # Note the defaults provided here for the builds that don't specify
       # values.
-      os: windows-2022
+      os: ${{ matrix.os || 'windows-2022' }}
       cxx-standard: ${{ matrix.cxx-standard || '17' }}
       build-type: ${{ matrix.build-type || 'Release' }}
       BUILD_SHARED_LIBS: ${{ matrix.BUILD_SHARED_LIBS || 'ON' }}
@@ -196,7 +194,6 @@ jobs:
       OPENEXR_INSTALL_DOCS: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_INSTALL_DOCS || 'OFF' }}
       OPENEXR_BUILD_EXAMPLES: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_BUILD_EXAMPLES || 'ON' }}
       OPENEXR_BUILD_TOOLS: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_BUILD_TOOLS || 'ON' }}
-      OPENEXR_BUILD_PYTHON: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_BUILD_PYTHON || 'OFF' }}
       OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_IMATH: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_IMATH || 'OFF' }}
       OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_DEFLATE: ${{ matrix.OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_DEFLATE || 'OFF' }}
       BUILD_TESTING: ${{ matrix.BUILD_TESTING || 'OFF' }}
@@ -204,13 +201,9 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         include:
           - build: 1
-            label: Debug
-            build-type: Debug
-
-          - build: 2
             label: Release
 
-          - build: 3
+          - build: 2
             label: pkgconfig=OFF, examples=OFF, tools=OFF, docs=OFF, internal imath+deflate
             OPENEXR_INSTALL_PKG_CONFIG: 'OFF'
             OPENEXR_INSTALL_DOCS: 'OFF'
@@ -220,10 +213,11 @@ jobs:
             OPENEXR_FORCE_INTERNAL_DEFLATE: 'ON'
             BUILD_TESTING: 'OFF'
 
-          - build: 4
+          - build: 3
             label: vfx2022
             os: windows-2019
-          - build: 5
+
+          - build: 4
             label: latest
             os: windows-latest