diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci-deploy.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci-deploy.yml
index 94508ae..462e760 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci-deploy.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci-deploy.yml
@@ -40,8 +40,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build backend
         run: dotnet build JobTrackerApi/JobTrackerApi.csproj --configuration Release
 
+      # No --no-build: the build step above only builds JobTrackerApi, so the test project was never
+      # compiled and `--no-build` made this step a ~1s no-op (or ran a stale binary left on the
+      # self-hosted runner). The backend suite was therefore not actually gating CI.
       - name: Test backend
-        run: dotnet test JobTrackerApi.Tests/JobTrackerApi.Tests.csproj --configuration Release --no-build
+        run: dotnet test JobTrackerApi.Tests/JobTrackerApi.Tests.csproj --configuration Release
 
       - name: Install frontend deps
         working-directory: job-tracker-ui