diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux.yml b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
index b5f8183eb..a293b053b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
@@ -179,9 +179,10 @@ jobs:
       env:
         ARGS: ${{ matrix.plan.args }}
 
-    - name: Build all hledger modules optimised and warning free, run unit/doc/bench tests
+    - name: Build all hledger modules warning free, optimised and minimised, run unit/doc/bench tests
       run: |
-        stack $ARGS install --test --bench --force-dirty --ghc-options=-fforce-recomp --ghc-options=-Werror --no-terminal
+        stack $ARGS install --test --bench --force-dirty --ghc-options=-fforce-recomp --ghc-options=-Werror --ghc-options=-split-sections --no-terminal
+        # -split-sections shrinks binaries by 30% on average here
         # --pedantic --no-run-benchmarks
       env:
         ARGS: ${{ matrix.plan.args }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mac.yml b/.github/workflows/mac.yml
index 1f9d2e9bf..0313a331a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mac.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mac.yml
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Build hledger and test unit tests, doc tests
       run: |
         stack install --test --force-dirty --ghc-options=-fforce-recomp --ghc-options=-Werror
+      # --ghc-options=-split-sections doesn't work on mac
       #  --pedantic
 
     - name: Install shelltestrunner
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index 9519b711d..90848a2b6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -129,9 +129,10 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         stack --resolver=lts-15.3 --no-terminal build --only-dependencies
 
-    - name: Build hledger executables
+    - name: Build all hledger modules warning free, optimised and minimised
       run: |
         stack --resolver=lts-15.3 --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
 
     # run hledger-lib/hledger functional tests, skipping the ones for addons