diff --git a/.github/workflows/meson.yml b/.github/workflows/meson.yml
index dc9a2061..edb8b973 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/meson.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/meson.yml
@@ -16,73 +16,93 @@ jobs:
           - release
         mode:
           - name: default
+            args: -Dtests=enabled
+            extra_envs: {}
+
+          # Alternative compiler setups
+          - name: gcc
             args: -Dtests=enabled
             extra_envs:
               CC: gcc
               CXX: g++
+          - name: clang
+            args: -Dtests=enabled
+            extra_envs:
+              CC: clang
+              CXX: clang++
+
           - name: sanitize
             args: >-
               "-Db_sanitize=address,undefined"
-            extra_envs:
-              CC: gcc
-              CXX: g++
-            # For Visual Studio
+            extra_envs: {}
+
+          # This is for MSVC, which only supports AddressSanitizer.
+          # https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/sanitizers/
           - name: sanitize+asanonly
             args: -Db_sanitize=address
             extra_envs:
               ASAN_OPTIONS: report_globals=0:halt_on_error=1:abort_on_error=1:print_summary=1
+
           - name: clang+sanitize
             args: >-
               "-Db_sanitize=address,undefined"
             extra_envs:
               CC: clang
               CXX: clang++
-          #- name: clang-cl+sanitize
-          #  args: >-
-          #    "-Db_sanitize=address,undefined"
-          #  extra_envs:
-          #    CC: clang-cl
-          #    CXX: clang-cl
-          #- name: clang+msan
-          #  args: -Db_sanitize=memory
-          #  extra_envs:
-          #    CC: clang
-          #    CXX: clang++
-          #- name: clang-cl+msan
-          #  args: -Db_sanitize=memory
-          #  extra_envs:
-          #    CC: clang-cl
-          #    CXX: clang-cl
+          - name: clang+msan
+            args: -Db_sanitize=memory
+            extra_envs:
+              CC: clang
+              CXX: clang++
+
+          # default clang on GitHub hosted runners is from MSYS2.
+          # Use Visual Studio supplied clang-cl instead.
+          - name: clang-cl+sanitize
+            args: >-
+              "-Db_sanitize=address,undefined"
+            extra_envs:
+              CC: clang-cl
+              CXX: clang-cl
+          - name: clang-cl+msan
+            args: -Db_sanitize=memory
+            extra_envs:
+              CC: clang-cl
+              CXX: clang-cl
         platform:
           - ubuntu-22.04
           - windows-2022
-          #- macos-latest
+          - macos-latest
 
         exclude:
-          # clang-cl
+          # clang-cl only makes sense on windows.
           - platform: ubuntu-22.04
             mode:
               name: clang-cl+sanitize
           - platform: macos-latest
             mode:
               name: clang-cl+sanitize
-          - platform: windows-2022
-            mode:
-              name: clang+sanitize
-          - platform: windows-2022
-            mode:
-              name: sanitize+asanonly
-            flavor: release
           - platform: ubuntu-22.04
             mode:
               name: clang-cl+msan
           - platform: macos-latest
             mode:
               name: clang-cl+msan
+
+          # Use clang-cl instead of MSYS2 clang.
+          #
+          # we already tested clang+sanitize on linux,
+          # if this doesn't work, it should be an issue for MSYS2 team to consider.
+          - platform: windows-2022
+            mode:
+              name: clang
+          - platform: windows-2022
+            mode:
+              name: clang+sanitize
           - platform: windows-2022
             mode:
               name: clang+msan
-          # msvc
+
+          # MSVC-only sanitizers
           - platform: ubuntu-22.04
             mode:
               name: sanitize+asanonly
@@ -92,24 +112,27 @@ jobs:
           - platform: windows-2022
             mode:
               name: sanitize
-          # default is clang
+
+          # clang is the default on macos
           - platform: macos-latest
             mode:
-              name: clang+sanitize
-          # msan unsupported
-          - platform: macos-latest
+              name: clang
+
+          # gcc is the default on linux
+          - platform: ubuntu-22.04
             mode:
-              name: clang+msan
+              name: gcc
+
+          # only run sanitizer tests on linux
+          #
+          # gcc/clang's codegen shouldn't massively change across platforms,
+          # and linux supports most of the sanitizers.
           - platform: macos-latest
             mode:
-              name: sanitize
-            flavor: release
+              name: clang+sanitize
           - platform: macos-latest
             mode:
-              name: clang+msan
-            flavor: release
-
-
+              name: sanitize
     steps:
       - name: Setup meson
         run: |