diff --git a/.github/workflows/awslc.yml b/.github/workflows/awslc.yml
index 742075561c..d99928efb1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/awslc.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/awslc.yml
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - run: |
-          sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-prod.list
-          sudo apt-get update
           sudo apt-get install --yes libtool autoconf automake pkgconf stunnel4 libpsl-dev
           # ensure we don't pick up openssl in this build
           sudo apt remove --yes libssl-dev
@@ -94,9 +92,6 @@ jobs:
       - run: make -C build V=1
         name: 'make'
 
-      - run: make -C build V=1 examples
-        name: 'make examples'
-
       - run: make -C build V=1 -C tests
         name: 'make tests'
 
@@ -104,6 +99,9 @@ jobs:
         name: 'run tests'
         timeout-minutes: 15
 
+      - run: make -C build V=1 examples
+        name: 'make examples'
+
   cmake:
     name: awslc (cmake)
     runs-on: 'ubuntu-latest'
@@ -111,9 +109,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - run: |
-          sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-prod.list
-          sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt-get install cmake stunnel4 libpsl-dev
+          sudo apt-get install cmake ninja-build stunnel4 libpsl-dev
           # ensure we don't pick up openssl in this build
           sudo apt remove --yes libssl-dev
           sudo python3 -m pip install impacket
@@ -136,14 +132,14 @@ jobs:
           tar xzf v${{ env.awslc-version }}.tar.gz
           mkdir aws-lc-${{ env.awslc-version }}-build
           cd aws-lc-${{ env.awslc-version }}-build
-          cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/awslc ../aws-lc-${{ env.awslc-version }}
+          cmake -G Ninja -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/awslc ../aws-lc-${{ env.awslc-version }}
           cmake --build . --parallel
           cmake --install .
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@692973e3d937129bcbf40652eb9f2f61becf3332 # v4
 
       - run: |
-          cmake -B build -DCMAKE_UNITY_BUILD=ON -DCURL_TEST_BUNDLES=ON -DCURL_WERROR=ON \
+          cmake -B build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_UNITY_BUILD=ON -DCURL_TEST_BUNDLES=ON -DCURL_WERROR=ON \
             -DOPENSSL_ROOT_DIR=$HOME/awslc -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON
         name: 'cmake generate out-of-tree'
 
@@ -155,3 +151,6 @@ jobs:
 
       - run: cmake --build build --parallel --target testdeps
         name: 'cmake build tests'
+
+      - run: cmake --build build --parallel --target curl-examples
+        name: 'cmake build examples'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/checksrc.yml b/.github/workflows/checksrc.yml
index 87868b6318..a36140cdc1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checksrc.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checksrc.yml
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: install
         run: |
-          sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-prod.list
-          sudo apt-get update
           sudo apt-get install codespell python3-pip
           python3 -m pip install cmakelint==1.4.3
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/http3-linux.yml b/.github/workflows/http3-linux.yml
index 8bd34ab059..66a12420c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/http3-linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/http3-linux.yml
@@ -160,8 +160,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: install build prerequisites
         if: steps.settings.outputs.needs-build == 'true'
         run: |
-          sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-prod.list
-          sudo apt-get update
           sudo apt-get install libtool autoconf automake pkgconf stunnel4 \
             libpsl-dev libbrotli-dev libzstd-dev zlib1g-dev libev-dev libc-ares-dev \
             nettle-dev libp11-kit-dev libtspi-dev libunistring-dev guile-2.2-dev libtasn1-bin \
@@ -296,8 +294,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - run: |
-          sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-prod.list
-          sudo apt-get update
           sudo apt-get install libtool autoconf automake pkgconf stunnel4 \
             libpsl-dev libbrotli-dev libzstd-dev zlib1g-dev libev-dev libc-ares-dev \
             nettle-dev libp11-kit-dev libtspi-dev libunistring-dev guile-2.2-dev libtasn1-bin \
@@ -457,9 +453,6 @@ jobs:
       - run: make V=1
         name: 'make'
 
-      - run: make V=1 examples
-        name: 'make examples'
-
       - run: make V=1 -C tests
         name: 'make tests'
 
@@ -473,3 +466,6 @@ jobs:
         env:
           TFLAGS: "${{ matrix.build.tflags }}"
           CURL_CI: github
+
+      - run: make V=1 examples
+        name: 'make examples'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux.yml b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
index be96dd2e1b..221635816e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
@@ -250,8 +250,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - if: matrix.build.container == null
         run: |
-          sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-prod.list
-          sudo apt-get update
           sudo apt-get install libtool autoconf automake pkgconf stunnel4 libpsl-dev libbrotli-dev libzstd-dev ${{ matrix.build.install_packages }}
           sudo python3 -m pip install impacket
         name: 'install prereqs and impacket'
@@ -550,6 +548,9 @@ jobs:
         timeout-minutes: ${{ contains(matrix.build.install_packages, 'valgrind') && 30 || 15 }}
         run: |
           export TFLAGS='${{ matrix.build.tflags }}'
+          if [[ '${{ matrix.build.install_packages }}' = *'valgrind'* ]]; then
+            TFLAGS+=' -j4'
+          fi
           if [[ '${{ matrix.build.install_packages }}' = *'heimdal-dev'* ]]; then
             TFLAGS+=' ~2077 ~2078'  # valgrind errors
           fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux32.yml b/.github/workflows/linux32.yml
index 14380450d9..e89130356a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux32.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux32.yml
@@ -80,9 +80,6 @@ jobs:
       - run: ./src/curl -V
         name: 'check curl -V output'
 
-      - run: make V=1 examples
-        name: 'make examples'
-
       - run: make V=1 -C tests
         name: 'make tests'
 
@@ -90,3 +87,6 @@ jobs:
         name: 'run tests'
         env:
           TFLAGS: "${{ matrix.build.tflags }}"
+
+      - run: make V=1 examples
+        name: 'make examples'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index 7787dc953d..e17651674c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -325,8 +325,7 @@ jobs:
           PATH="$(cygpath "${USERPROFILE}")/my-cache/${{ matrix.dir }}/bin:/c/msys64/usr/bin:$PATH"
           [ '${{ matrix.type }}' = 'Debug' ] && options+=' -DCMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_DEBUG='
           [ '${{ matrix.type }}' = 'Release' ] && options+=' -DCMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_RELEASE='
-          cmake -B bld ${options} \
-            '-GMSYS Makefiles' \
+          cmake -B bld ${options} -G 'MSYS Makefiles' \
             -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=gcc \
             '-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.type }}' \
             -DCMAKE_UNITY_BUILD=ON -DCURL_TEST_BUNDLES=ON \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/wolfssl.yml b/.github/workflows/wolfssl.yml
index 49b1bd9174..306fd74176 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/wolfssl.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/wolfssl.yml
@@ -63,8 +63,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - run: |
-          sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-prod.list
-          sudo apt-get update
           sudo apt-get install libtool autoconf automake pkgconf stunnel4 libpsl-dev ${{ matrix.build.install }}
           sudo python3 -m pip install impacket
         name: 'install prereqs and impacket'
@@ -90,9 +88,6 @@ jobs:
       - run: make V=1
         name: 'make'
 
-      - run: make V=1 examples
-        name: 'make examples'
-
       - run: make V=1 -C tests
         name: 'make tests'
 
@@ -101,3 +96,6 @@ jobs:
         timeout-minutes: ${{ contains(matrix.build.install, 'valgrind') && 30 || 15 }}
         env:
           TFLAGS: "${{ matrix.build.tflags }}"
+
+      - run: make V=1 examples
+        name: 'make examples'