diff --git a/.github/workflows/macos.yml b/.github/workflows/macos.yml
index f73e4ff653..7fc02ae555 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/macos.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/macos.yml
@@ -205,21 +205,20 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
   macos:
-    name: "${{ matrix.build.generate && 'CM' || 'AM' }} ${{ matrix.compiler }} ${{ matrix.build.name }}"
+    name: "${{ matrix.build.generate && 'CM' || 'AM' }} ${{ matrix.build.compiler }} ${{ matrix.build.name }}"
     runs-on: 'macos-15'
     timeout-minutes: 25
     env:
       DEVELOPER_DIR: "/Applications/Xcode${{ matrix.build.xcode && format('_{0}', matrix.build.xcode) || '' }}.app/Contents/Developer"
-      CC: '${{ matrix.compiler }}'
+      CC: '${{ matrix.build.compiler }}'
       MATRIX_BUILD: ${{ matrix.build.generate && 'cmake' || 'autotools' }}
-      MATRIX_COMPILER: '${{ matrix.compiler }}'
+      MATRIX_COMPILER: '${{ matrix.build.compiler }}'
       MATRIX_INSTALL: '${{ matrix.build.install }}'
       MATRIX_INSTALL_STEPS: '${{ matrix.build.install_steps }}'
       MATRIX_MACOS_VERSION_MIN: '${{ matrix.build.macos-version-min }}'
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        compiler: [clang, llvm@18, gcc-13]
         build:
           # autotools
           - name: '!ssl !debug brotli zstd'
@@ -287,6 +286,7 @@ jobs:
             tflags: '--test-event --min=1300'
           # cmake
           - name: 'OpenSSL gsasl rtmp AppleIDN SecTrust +examples'
+            compiler: clang
             install: libnghttp3 libngtcp2 gsasl rtmpdump
             generate: -DOPENSSL_ROOT_DIR=/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl -DCURL_USE_GSASL=ON -DUSE_LIBRTMP=ON -DUSE_APPLE_IDN=ON -DUSE_NGTCP2=ON -DCURL_DISABLE_VERBOSE_STRINGS=ON -DUSE_APPLE_SECTRUST=ON
           - name: 'MultiSSL AppleIDN clang-tidy +examples'
@@ -313,9 +313,11 @@ jobs:
               -DCURL_CLANG_TIDY=ON -DCLANG_TIDY=/opt/homebrew/opt/llvm/bin/clang-tidy
 
           - name: 'LibreSSL openldap krb5 c-ares +examples'
+            compiler: clang
             install: libressl krb5 openldap
             generate: -DENABLE_DEBUG=ON -DOPENSSL_ROOT_DIR=/opt/homebrew/opt/libressl -DENABLE_ARES=ON -DCURL_USE_GSSAPI=ON -DGSS_ROOT_DIR=/opt/homebrew/opt/krb5 -DLDAP_INCLUDE_DIR=/opt/homebrew/opt/openldap/include -DLDAP_LIBRARY=/opt/homebrew/opt/openldap/lib/libldap.dylib -DLDAP_LBER_LIBRARY=/opt/homebrew/opt/openldap/lib/liblber.dylib
           - name: 'wolfSSL !ldap brotli zstd'
+            compiler: clang
             install: brotli wolfssl zstd
             install_steps: pytest
             generate: -DCURL_USE_WOLFSSL=ON -DCURL_DISABLE_LDAP=ON -DUSE_ECH=ON
@@ -325,6 +327,7 @@ jobs:
             install_steps: codeset-test
             generate: -DCURL_USE_MBEDTLS=ON -DCURL_DISABLE_LDAP=ON -DCURL_DEFAULT_SSL_BACKEND=mbedtls -DCURL_USE_OPENSSL=ON -DUSE_APPLE_IDN=ON
           - name: 'GnuTLS !ldap krb5 +examples'
+            compiler: clang
             install: gnutls nettle krb5
             generate: -DENABLE_DEBUG=ON -DCURL_USE_GNUTLS=ON -DCURL_USE_OPENSSL=OFF -DCURL_USE_GSSAPI=ON -DGSS_ROOT_DIR=/opt/homebrew/opt/krb5 -DCURL_DISABLE_LDAP=ON -DUSE_SSLS_EXPORT=ON
           - name: 'aws-lc'
@@ -354,14 +357,6 @@ jobs:
             install_steps: torture
             generate: -DENABLE_DEBUG=ON -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF -DENABLE_THREADED_RESOLVER=OFF -DOPENSSL_ROOT_DIR=/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl -DUSE_OPENSSL_QUIC=ON
             tflags: '-t --shallow=25 --min=628 1251 to 9999'
-        exclude:
-          # opt out jobs from combinations that have the compiler set manually
-          - { compiler: llvm@18, build: { compiler: 'clang' } }
-          - { compiler: llvm@18, build: { compiler: 'gcc-13' } }
-          - { compiler: gcc-13, build: { compiler: 'clang' } }
-          - { compiler: gcc-13, build: { compiler: 'llvm@18' } }
-          - { compiler: clang, build: { compiler: 'gcc-13' } }
-          - { compiler: clang, build: { compiler: 'llvm@18' } }
 
     steps:
       - name: 'brew install'