diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index 0a98acd..6129e3a 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -61,8 +61,10 @@ jobs:
     # the RTX 4090 busy for ~25 minutes. On PRs only, as its own job so the
     # checks above report first; a newer push to the same PR cancels the
     # run it supersedes. Locally, run only what you're writing (-k) or
-    # diagnosing (--lf).
+    # diagnosing (--lf). Only after the checks pass: a PR that's red already
+    # doesn't spend the GPU.
     if: github.event_name != 'push'
+    needs: checks
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 90
     concurrency: