diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux.yml b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
index bffd5f4f4..2e9e6ba8c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
@@ -100,14 +100,21 @@ jobs:
     #     git log "$GITHUB_BASE_REF"..
     #     bin/commitlint "$GITHUB_BASE_REF"..
 
+    # keep synced in all workflows which do this
     - name: Check commit messages
+      # For a PR, the range will be: master..origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF
+      # For a push it will be: $BEFORE..
+      # For a force push, BEFORE is the previous HEAD, and on github (though not locally) this is an "invalid revision range".
+      # In this and any case where the range is invalid, we'll just check the last N commits.
+      # related: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/64708371/how-to-run-github-workflow-on-every-commit-of-a-push
       env:
         BEFORE: ${{ github.event.before }}
-      # for a PR this will be: origin/master..origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF
-      # for a push it will be: $BEFORE..
-      # for a force push, BEFORE is the previous HEAD, and on github (not locally) this is an "invalid revision range"
+        NUM:    20
       run: |
-        bin/commitlint ${BEFORE:-origin/master}..${GITHUB_HEAD_REF:+origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF}
+        RANGE=${BEFORE:-origin/master}..${GITHUB_HEAD_REF:+origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF}
+        git rev-list --quiet $RANGE \
+          && bin/commitlint  $RANGE \
+          || ( echo "could not identify commits, checking last $NUM instead:"; bin/commitlint -$NUM )
 
     # things to be cached/restored:
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mac.yml b/.github/workflows/mac.yml
index bb491ee96..a78c6f3fd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mac.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mac.yml
@@ -57,14 +57,21 @@ jobs:
       with: 
         fetch-depth: 0        
 
+    # keep synced in all workflows which do this
     - name: Check commit messages
+      # For a PR, the range will be: master..origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF
+      # For a push it will be: $BEFORE..
+      # For a force push, BEFORE is the previous HEAD, and on github (though not locally) this is an "invalid revision range".
+      # In this and any case where the range is invalid, we'll just check the last N commits.
+      # related: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/64708371/how-to-run-github-workflow-on-every-commit-of-a-push
       env:
         BEFORE: ${{ github.event.before }}
-      # for a PR this will be: origin/master..origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF
-      # for a push it will be: $BEFORE..
-      # for a force push, BEFORE is the previous HEAD, and on github (not locally) this is an "invalid revision range"
+        NUM:    20
       run: |
-        bin/commitlint ${BEFORE:-origin/master}..${GITHUB_HEAD_REF:+origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF}
+        RANGE=${BEFORE:-origin/master}..${GITHUB_HEAD_REF:+origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF}
+        git rev-list --quiet $RANGE \
+          && bin/commitlint  $RANGE \
+          || ( echo "could not identify commits, checking last $NUM instead:"; bin/commitlint -$NUM )
 
     # things to be cached/restored:
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/push.yml b/.github/workflows/push.yml
index 40c42029d..792ecb31c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/push.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/push.yml
@@ -64,14 +64,21 @@ jobs:
     #     git log "$GITHUB_BASE_REF"..
     #     bin/commitlint "$GITHUB_BASE_REF"..
 
+    # keep synced in all workflows which do this
     - name: Check commit messages
+      # For a PR, the range will be: master..origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF
+      # For a push it will be: $BEFORE..
+      # For a force push, BEFORE is the previous HEAD, and on github (though not locally) this is an "invalid revision range".
+      # In this and any case where the range is invalid, we'll just check the last N commits.
+      # related: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/64708371/how-to-run-github-workflow-on-every-commit-of-a-push
       env:
         BEFORE: ${{ github.event.before }}
-      # for a PR this will be: master..origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF
-      # for a push it will be: $BEFORE..
-      # for a force push, BEFORE is the previous HEAD, and on github (not locally) this is an "invalid revision range"
+        NUM:    20
       run: |
-        bin/commitlint ${BEFORE:-origin/master}..${GITHUB_HEAD_REF:+origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF}
+        RANGE=${BEFORE:-origin/master}..${GITHUB_HEAD_REF:+origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF}
+        git rev-list --quiet $RANGE \
+          && bin/commitlint  $RANGE \
+          || ( echo "could not identify commits, checking last $NUM instead:"; bin/commitlint -$NUM )
 
     # things to be cached/restored:
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index ff4ecf405..c7d387b33 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -47,14 +47,21 @@ jobs:
       with: 
         fetch-depth: 0        
 
+    # keep synced in all workflows which do this
     - name: Check commit messages
+      # For a PR, the range will be: master..origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF
+      # For a push it will be: $BEFORE..
+      # For a force push, BEFORE is the previous HEAD, and on github (though not locally) this is an "invalid revision range".
+      # In this and any case where the range is invalid, we'll just check the last N commits.
+      # related: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/64708371/how-to-run-github-workflow-on-every-commit-of-a-push
       env:
         BEFORE: ${{ github.event.before }}
-      # for a PR this will be: origin/master..origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF
-      # for a push it will be: $BEFORE..
-      # for a force push, BEFORE is the previous HEAD, and on github (not locally) this is an "invalid revision range"
+        NUM:    20
       run: |
-        bin/commitlint ${BEFORE:-origin/master}..${GITHUB_HEAD_REF:+origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF}
+        RANGE=${BEFORE:-origin/master}..${GITHUB_HEAD_REF:+origin/$GITHUB_HEAD_REF}
+        git rev-list --quiet $RANGE \
+          && bin/commitlint  $RANGE \
+          || ( echo "could not identify commits, checking last $NUM instead:"; bin/commitlint -$NUM )
 
     # things to be cached/restored: