diff --git a/.github/workflows/binaries-linux-x64.yml b/.github/workflows/binaries-linux-x64.yml
index 17f0f41f5..6893cc49a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/binaries-linux-x64.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/binaries-linux-x64.yml
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ jobs:
       with: 
         fetch-depth: 0  
 
-    - name: Check embedded files
-      run: |
-        tools/checkembeddedfiles
-      if: env.CONTINUE
+    # requires bash
+    # - name: Check embedded files
+    #   run: |
+    #     tools/checkembeddedfiles
 
     - name: Uncache ghcup-installed tools
       id:   ghcup
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-stack-global-20240417-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-stack-global-20240417
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache stack-installed programs in ~/.local/bin
       id:   stack-programs
@@ -71,7 +70,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-stack-programs-20240417-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-stack-programs-20240417
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache .stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -80,7 +78,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-stack-work-20240417-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-stack-work-20240417
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-lib/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -89,7 +86,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-lib-stack-work-20240417-${{ hashFiles('hledger-lib/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-lib-stack-work-20240417
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -98,7 +94,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-stack-work-20240417-${{ hashFiles('hledger/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-stack-work-20240417
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-ui/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -107,7 +102,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-ui-stack-work-20240417-${{ hashFiles('hledger-ui/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-ui-stack-work-20240417
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-web/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -116,7 +110,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-web-stack-work-20240417-${{ hashFiles('hledger-web/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-web-stack-work-20240417
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Install general tools with system package manager
       run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/binaries-mac-arm64.yml b/.github/workflows/binaries-mac-arm64.yml
index 2e69fdead..11e195f53 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/binaries-mac-arm64.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/binaries-mac-arm64.yml
@@ -39,14 +39,10 @@ jobs:
       with: 
         fetch-depth: 0        
 
-    - name: Confirm all remaining steps should run
-      run: echo "CONTINUE=true" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
     - name: Check embedded files
       run: |
         brew install ripgrep
         tools/checkembeddedfiles
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # things to be cached/restored:
 
@@ -58,7 +54,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-stack-global-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-stack-global-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache stack-installed programs in ~/.local/bin
       id:   stack-programs
@@ -68,7 +63,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-stack-programs-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-stack-programs-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache .stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -77,7 +71,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-stack-work-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-stack-work-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-lib/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -86,7 +79,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-lib-stack-work-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('hledger-lib/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-lib-stack-work-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -95,7 +87,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-stack-work-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('hledger/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-stack-work-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-ui/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -104,7 +95,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-ui-stack-work-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('hledger-ui/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-ui-stack-work-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-web/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -113,7 +103,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-web-stack-work-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('hledger-web/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-web-stack-work-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Add .ghcup/bin to PATH for following steps
       run: |
@@ -129,21 +118,18 @@ jobs:
           ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup install stack 2.15.5 && ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup set stack 2.15.5
         fi
         stack --version
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Install GHC (with stack)
       env:
         stack: ${{ matrix.plan.stack }}
       run: |
         $stack setup --install-ghc
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # - name: Install GHC (with ghcup)
     #   run: |
     #     mkdir -p ~/.ghcup/bin && curl -sL https://downloads.haskell.org/~ghcup/arm64-apple-darwin-ghcup > ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup && chmod +x ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup
     #     ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup install --set ghc 9.2.4  # && ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup install stack
     #     echo "$HOME/.ghcup/bin/" >> $GITHUB_PATH
-    #   if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Install haskell deps
       env:
@@ -151,7 +137,6 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         $stack build --test --only-dependencies --dry-run
         $stack build --test --only-dependencies
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Build hledger and test unit tests, doc tests
       env:
@@ -160,7 +145,6 @@ jobs:
         $stack install --test --force-dirty --ghc-options=-fforce-recomp --ghc-options=-Werror
         # --ghc-options=-split-sections doesn't work on mac
         #  --pedantic
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Install shelltestrunner
       env:
@@ -169,7 +153,6 @@ jobs:
         export PATH=~/.local/bin:$PATH
         if [[ ! -x ~/.local/bin/shelltest ]]; then $stack install shelltestrunner-1.10; fi
         shelltest --version
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Test functional tests (excluding addons)
       env:
@@ -177,7 +160,6 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         export PATH=~/.local/bin:$PATH
         COLUMNS=80 $stack exec -- shelltest --execdir -j16 hledger/test -x /_ -x /addons -x ledger-compat/ledger-baseline -x ledger-compat/ledger-regress -x ledger-compat/ledger-collected # bin
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # This is tested here rather than in the regular CI because it's slow,
     # doesn't fail too often, and the cost of late detection and fixing is low.
@@ -189,7 +171,6 @@ jobs:
         time $stack build --fast --haddock --no-haddock-deps --no-haddock-hyperlink-source --haddock-arguments="--no-print-missing-docs"
         # --no-haddock-hyperlink-source is 25% faster
         # --no-print-missing-docs is 600% quieter
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # artifacts:
 
@@ -204,7 +185,6 @@ jobs:
         strip hledger-ui
         strip hledger-web
         tar cvf hledger-mac-arm64.tar hledger hledger-ui hledger-web
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # upload-artifact loses execute permissions, so we tar the binaries to preserve them.
     # github UI always zips artifacts when they are downloaded, so we don't bother compressing the tar.
@@ -214,5 +194,3 @@ jobs:
       with:
         name: hledger-mac-arm64
         path: tmp/hledger-mac-arm64.tar
-      if: env.CONTINUE
-
diff --git a/.github/workflows/binaries-mac-x64.yml b/.github/workflows/binaries-mac-x64.yml
index bfed82328..2930fa6a1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/binaries-mac-x64.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/binaries-mac-x64.yml
@@ -39,14 +39,10 @@ jobs:
       with: 
         fetch-depth: 0        
 
-    - name: Confirm all remaining steps should run
-      run: echo "CONTINUE=true" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
     - name: Check embedded files
       run: |
         brew install ripgrep
         tools/checkembeddedfiles
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # things to be cached/restored:
 
@@ -58,7 +54,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-stack-global-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-stack-global-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache stack-installed programs in ~/.local/bin
       id:   stack-programs
@@ -68,7 +63,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-stack-programs-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-stack-programs-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache .stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -77,7 +71,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-stack-work-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-stack-work-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-lib/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -86,7 +79,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-lib-stack-work-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('hledger-lib/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-lib-stack-work-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -95,7 +87,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-stack-work-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('hledger/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-stack-work-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-ui/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -104,7 +95,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-ui-stack-work-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('hledger-ui/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-ui-stack-work-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-web/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -113,7 +103,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-web-stack-work-from20220817-${{ hashFiles('hledger-web/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-web-stack-work-from20220817
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Add .ghcup/bin to PATH for following steps
       run: |
@@ -124,21 +113,18 @@ jobs:
         if [[ ! -x ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup ]];     then mkdir -p ~/.ghcup/bin && curl https://downloads.haskell.org/~ghcup/x86_64-apple-darwin-ghcup > ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup && chmod +x ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup; fi; printf "ghcup: "; ghcup --version
         if [[ ! -x ~/.ghcup/bin/stack ]];     then ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup install stack 2.15.5   && ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup set stack 2.15.5;   fi; printf "stack: "; stack --version
         #if [[ ! -x ~/.ghcup/bin/ghc-9.8.2 ]]; then ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup install ghc 9.8.2      && ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup set ghc 9.8.2;     fi; printf "ghc: "; ghc --version
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Install GHC with stack
       env:
         stack: ${{ matrix.plan.stack }}
       run: |
         $stack setup --install-ghc
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # - name: Install GHC (with ghcup)
     #   run: |
     #     mkdir -p ~/.ghcup/bin && curl -sL https://downloads.haskell.org/~ghcup/x86_64-apple-darwin-ghcup > ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup && chmod +x ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup
     #     ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup install --set ghc 9.2.4  # && ~/.ghcup/bin/ghcup install stack
     #     echo "$HOME/.ghcup/bin/" >> $GITHUB_PATH
-    #   if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Install haskell deps
       env:
@@ -146,7 +132,6 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         $stack build --test --only-dependencies --dry-run
         $stack build --test --only-dependencies
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Build hledger and test unit tests, doc tests
       env:
@@ -155,7 +140,6 @@ jobs:
         $stack install --test --force-dirty --ghc-options=-fforce-recomp --ghc-options=-Werror
         # --ghc-options=-split-sections doesn't work on mac
         #  --pedantic
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Install shelltestrunner
       env:
@@ -164,7 +148,6 @@ jobs:
         export PATH=~/.local/bin:$PATH
         if [[ ! -x ~/.local/bin/shelltest ]]; then $stack install shelltestrunner-1.10; fi
         shelltest --version
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Test functional tests (excluding addons)
       env:
@@ -172,7 +155,6 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         export PATH=~/.local/bin:$PATH
         COLUMNS=80 $stack exec -- shelltest --execdir -j16 hledger/test -x /_ -x /addons -x ledger-compat/ledger-baseline -x ledger-compat/ledger-regress -x ledger-compat/ledger-collected # bin
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # # This is tested here rather than in the regular CI because it's slow,
     # # doesn't fail too often, and the cost of late detection and fixing is low.
@@ -184,7 +166,6 @@ jobs:
     #     time $stack build --fast --haddock --no-haddock-deps --no-haddock-hyperlink-source --haddock-arguments="--no-print-missing-docs"
     #     # --no-haddock-hyperlink-source is 25% faster
     #     # --no-print-missing-docs is 600% quieter
-    #   if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # artifacts:
 
@@ -199,7 +180,6 @@ jobs:
         strip hledger-ui
         strip hledger-web
         tar cvf hledger-mac-x64.tar hledger hledger-ui hledger-web
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # upload-artifact loses execute permissions, so we tar the binaries to preserve them.
     # github UI always zips artifacts when they are downloaded, so we don't bother compressing the tar.
@@ -209,5 +189,4 @@ jobs:
       with:
         name: hledger-mac-x64
         path: tmp/hledger-mac-x64.tar
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/binaries-windows-x64.yml b/.github/workflows/binaries-windows-x64.yml
index 3b5e538ad..dc5ba7c67 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/binaries-windows-x64.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/binaries-windows-x64.yml
@@ -27,10 +27,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/checkout@v3
       # have to fetch everything for git describe for --version
       with: 
-        fetch-depth: 0        
-
-    - name: Confirm all remaining steps should run
-      run: echo "CONTINUE=true" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+        fetch-depth: 0
 
     # things to be cached/restored:
 
@@ -42,7 +39,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-appdata-roaming-stack-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-appdata-roaming-stack
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache stack programs dir   # ghc, ghc-included packages and their haddocks, mingw, msys2
       id:   stack-programs-dir
@@ -54,7 +50,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-appdata-local-programs-stack-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-appdata-local-programs-stack
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache .stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -63,7 +58,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-stack-work-${{ hashFiles('**.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-stack-work
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-lib/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -72,7 +66,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-lib-stack-work-${{ hashFiles('hledger-lib/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-lib-stack-work
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -81,7 +74,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-stack-work-${{ hashFiles('hledger/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-stack-work
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-ui/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -90,7 +82,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-ui-stack-work-${{ hashFiles('hledger-ui/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-ui-stack-work
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Uncache hledger-web/.stack-work
       uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -99,7 +90,6 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-web-stack-work-${{ hashFiles('hledger-web/package.yaml') }}
         restore-keys: |
              ${{ runner.os }}-hledger-web-stack-work
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # - name: showStuff
     #   run: |
@@ -130,14 +120,12 @@ jobs:
         printf "stack: "; stack --version
         which ./stack
         printf "./stack: "; ./stack --version
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     - name: Install GHC
       # if: steps.stack-programs-dir.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
       # set PATH=C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Programs\stack\local\bin;%PATH%
       run: |
         ./stack --no-terminal setup --install-ghc
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # - name: Install shelltestrunner
     ## - export PATH=~/.local/bin:$PATH
@@ -148,7 +136,6 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         ./stack --no-terminal build --only-dependencies --dry-run
         ./stack --no-terminal build --only-dependencies
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # use whichever GHC is in default stack.yaml
 
@@ -157,7 +144,6 @@ jobs:
         ./stack --no-terminal install --force-dirty --ghc-options=-fforce-recomp --ghc-options=-Werror
       # --ghc-options=-split-sections doesn't work on windows, "too many sections"
       # --pedantic
-      if: env.CONTINUE
 
     # run hledger-lib/hledger functional tests, skipping the ones for addons
     ## - export PATH=~/.local/bin:$PATH
@@ -175,7 +161,6 @@ jobs:
         strip hledger.exe
         strip hledger-ui.exe
         strip hledger-web.exe
-      if: env.CONTINUE
              
     - name: Create binaries artifact
       uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
@@ -185,4 +170,3 @@ jobs:
           tmp/hledger.exe
           tmp/hledger-ui.exe
           tmp/hledger-web.exe
-      if: env.CONTINUE