diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 0298d0467fe35f0..7ad596437507e0c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -242,31 +242,20 @@ jobs:
       os-matrix: '["ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-runner:sonoma", "macos-14"]'
 
   build_ubuntu:
-    name: 'Ubuntu'
-    needs: check_source
-    if: needs.check_source.outputs.run_tests == 'true'
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable-ubuntu.yml
-    with:
-      config_hash: ${{ needs.check_source.outputs.config_hash }}
-      options: |
-        ../cpython-ro-srcdir/configure \
-          --config-cache \
-          --with-pydebug \
-          --with-openssl=$OPENSSL_DIR
-
-  build_ubuntu_free_threading:
-    name: 'Ubuntu (free-threading)'
+    name: >-
+      Ubuntu
+      ${{ fromJSON(matrix.free-threading) && '(free-threading)' || '' }}
     needs: check_source
     if: needs.check_source.outputs.run_tests == 'true'
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        free-threading:
+        - false
+        - true
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable-ubuntu.yml
     with:
       config_hash: ${{ needs.check_source.outputs.config_hash }}
-      options: |
-        ../cpython-ro-srcdir/configure \
-          --config-cache \
-          --with-pydebug \
-          --with-openssl=$OPENSSL_DIR \
-          --disable-gil
+      free-threading: ${{ matrix.free-threading }}
 
   build_ubuntu_ssltests:
     name: 'Ubuntu SSL tests with OpenSSL'
@@ -578,7 +567,6 @@ jobs:
     - build_macos
     - build_macos_free_threading
     - build_ubuntu
-    - build_ubuntu_free_threading
     - build_ubuntu_ssltests
     - build_wasi
     - build_windows
@@ -613,7 +601,6 @@ jobs:
             build_macos,
             build_macos_free_threading,
             build_ubuntu,
-            build_ubuntu_free_threading,
             build_ubuntu_ssltests,
             build_wasi,
             build_windows,
diff --git a/.github/workflows/reusable-ubuntu.yml b/.github/workflows/reusable-ubuntu.yml
index fa450ed33763219..018a1d80497659e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reusable-ubuntu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reusable-ubuntu.yml
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ on:
       config_hash:
         required: true
         type: string
-      options:
-        required: true
-        type: string
+      free-threading:
+        description: Whether to use free-threaded mode
+        required: false
+        type: boolean
+        default: false
 
 jobs:
   build_ubuntu_reusable:
@@ -63,7 +65,12 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ github.job }}-${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.IMAGE_VERSION }}-${{ inputs.config_hash }}
     - name: Configure CPython out-of-tree
       working-directory: ${{ env.CPYTHON_BUILDDIR }}
-      run: ${{ inputs.options }}
+      run: >-
+        ../cpython-ro-srcdir/configure
+        --config-cache
+        --with-pydebug
+        --with-openssl=$OPENSSL_DIR
+        ${{ fromJSON(inputs.free-threading) && '--disable-gil' || '' }}
     - name: Build CPython out-of-tree
       working-directory: ${{ env.CPYTHON_BUILDDIR }}
       run: make -j4
diff --git a/Include/pymacro.h b/Include/pymacro.h
index a7945ef84a46fcf..e0378f9d27a048c 100644
--- a/Include/pymacro.h
+++ b/Include/pymacro.h
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@
 // MSVC makes static_assert a keyword in C11-17, contrary to the standards.
 //
 // In C++11 and C2x, static_assert is a keyword, redefining is undefined
-// behaviour. So only define if building as C (if __STDC_VERSION__ is defined),
-// not C++, and only for C11-17.
+// behaviour. So only define if building as C, not C++ (if __cplusplus is
+// not defined), and only for C11-17.
 #if !defined(static_assert) && (defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__clang__)) \
-     && defined(__STDC_VERSION__) && __STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L \
-     && __STDC_VERSION__ <= 201710L
+     && !defined(__cplusplus) && defined(__STDC_VERSION__) \
+     && __STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L && __STDC_VERSION__ <= 201710L
 #  define static_assert _Static_assert
 #endif
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 #define Py_CHARMASK(c) ((unsigned char)((c) & 0xff))
 
 #if (defined(__STDC_VERSION__) && __STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L \
-     && !defined(_MSC_VER))
+     && !defined(__cplusplus) && !defined(_MSC_VER))
 #  define Py_BUILD_ASSERT_EXPR(cond) \
     ((void)sizeof(struct { int dummy; _Static_assert(cond, #cond); }), \
      0)
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pathlib/test_pathlib.py b/Lib/test/test_pathlib/test_pathlib.py
index 5293b5c84cda14b..7160e764dfb2faf 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_pathlib/test_pathlib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pathlib/test_pathlib.py
@@ -904,7 +904,6 @@ def test_rmtree_unwritable(self):
             errors = []
             tmp.rmtree(on_error=errors.append)
             # Test whether onerror has actually been called.
-            print(errors)
             self.assertEqual(len(errors), 3)
         finally:
             tmp.chmod(old_dir_mode)
@@ -1006,7 +1005,6 @@ def close(fd):
 
         with swap_attr(os, 'close', close) as orig_close:
             dir1.rmtree(on_error=errors.append)
-        print(errors)
         self.assertEqual(len(errors), 2)
         self.assertEqual(errors[0].filename, str(dir2))
         self.assertEqual(errors[1].filename, str(dir1))