diff --git a/.github/workflows/debian.yml b/.github/workflows/debian.yml
index 59f31ece..b1fc313d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/debian.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/debian.yml
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        ghc: ['9.12.2', '9.10.1', '9.8.4', '9.6.7', '9.4.8', '9.2.8', '9.0.2']
-        deb: ['buster', 'slim-buster']
+        ghc: ['9.12.2', '9.10.1', '9.8.4', '9.6.7']
+        deb: ['bullseye', 'slim-bullseye']
         include:
           - ghc: '9.12.2'
             ghc_minor: '9.12'
@@ -37,39 +37,15 @@ jobs:
             deb: 'slim-bookworm'
           - ghc: '9.10.1'
             ghc_minor: '9.10'
-            deb: 'slim-bullseye'
-          - ghc: '9.10.1'
-            ghc_minor: '9.10'
-            deb: 'bullseye'
-          - ghc: '9.10.1'
-            ghc_minor: '9.10'
-          - ghc: '9.8.4'
-            ghc_minor: '9.8'
-            deb: 'slim-bullseye'
           - ghc: '9.8.4'
             ghc_minor: '9.8'
-            deb: 'bullseye'
-          - ghc: '9.8.4'
-            ghc_minor: '9.8'
-          - ghc: '9.6.7'
-            ghc_minor: '9.6'
-            deb: 'slim-bullseye'
-          - ghc: '9.6.7'
-            ghc_minor: '9.6'
-            deb: 'bullseye'
           - ghc: '9.6.7'
             ghc_minor: '9.6'
-          - ghc: '9.4.8'
-            ghc_minor: '9.4'
-          - ghc: '9.2.8'
-            ghc_minor: '9.2'
-          - ghc: '9.0.2'
-            ghc_minor: '9.0'
         exclude:
           - ghc: '9.12.2'
-            deb: 'buster'
+            deb: 'bullseye'
           - ghc: '9.12.2'
-            deb: 'slim-buster'
+            deb: 'slim-bullseye'
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: build + smoke test [${{ matrix.ghc }}]
@@ -96,9 +72,9 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        ghc: ['9.0.2', '9.2.8', '9.4.8', '9.6.7', '9.8.4', '9.10.1', '9.12.2']
+        ghc: ['9.6.7', '9.8.4', '9.10.1', '9.12.2']
         # uraimo/run-on-arch-action does not support debian slim variants
-        deb: ['buster']
+        deb: ['bullseye']
         arch: ['aarch64']
         include:
           # bookworm (debian 12)
@@ -110,37 +86,16 @@ jobs:
           # bullseye (debian 11)
           - ghc: '9.10.1'
             ghc_minor: '9.10'
-            deb: 'bullseye'
-            arch: 'aarch64'
             docker_platform: arm64
           - ghc: '9.8.4'
             ghc_minor: '9.8'
-            deb: 'bullseye'
-            arch: 'aarch64'
             docker_platform: arm64
           - ghc: '9.6.7'
             ghc_minor: '9.6'
-            deb: 'bullseye'
-            arch: 'aarch64'
-            docker_platform: arm64
-          # buster (debian 10)
-          - ghc: '9.10.1'
-            ghc_minor: '9.10'
-          - ghc: '9.8.4'
-            ghc_minor: '9.8'
-          - ghc: '9.6.7'
-            ghc_minor: '9.6'
-          - ghc: '9.4.8'
-            ghc_minor: '9.4'
-          - ghc: '9.2.8'
-            ghc_minor: '9.2'
-          - ghc: '9.0.2'
-            ghc_minor: '9.0'
-          - arch: aarch64
             docker_platform: arm64
         exclude:
           - ghc: '9.12.2'
-            deb: 'buster'
+            deb: 'bullseye'
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4