diff --git a/.github/actions/after-checkout-prep/action.yml b/.github/actions/after-checkout-prep/action.yml
index 2edff308b..dd2f68286 100644
--- a/.github/actions/after-checkout-prep/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/after-checkout-prep/action.yml
@@ -3,12 +3,8 @@ description: 'prep'
 inputs:
   node:
     description: "Which node version?"
-  install-node:
-    description: "Install node?"
   ruby:
     description: "Which node version?"
-  install-ruby:
-    description: "Install ruby?"
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
@@ -20,12 +16,12 @@ runs:
         postgres_password: password
     - name: "Install NPM packages"
       uses: "./.github/actions/install-packages"
-      if: ${{ inputs.install-node }}
+      if: ${{ inputs.node != '' }}
       with:
         node: ${{ inputs.node }}
     - name: "Install Ruby packages"
       uses: "./.github/actions/install-packages"
-      if: ${{ inputs.install-ruby }}
+      if: ${{ inputs.ruby != '' }}
       with:
         ruby: ${{ inputs.ruby }}
     
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cache-packages.yml b/.github/workflows/cache-packages.yml
index 127a496a0..84e3d169d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cache-packages.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cache-packages.yml
@@ -7,17 +7,13 @@ on:
         type: string
       node:
         type: string
-      install-node:
-        type: boolean
       ruby:
         type: string
-      install-ruby:
-        type: boolean
 jobs:
   npm-package-download:
     name: Download NPM packages
     runs-on: ${{ inputs.os }}
-    if: ${{ inputs.install-node }}
+    if: ${{ inputs.node != '' }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       - uses: ./.github/actions/install-packages
@@ -26,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
   ruby-package-download:
     name: Download Ruby packages
     runs-on: ${{ inputs.os }}
-    if: ${{ inputs.install-ruby}}
+    if: ${{ inputs.ruby != '' }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       - uses: ./.github/actions/install-packages
diff --git a/.github/workflows/code-scanning.yml b/.github/workflows/code-scanning.yml
index 1cecf6cad..5528a38d8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/code-scanning.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/code-scanning.yml
@@ -18,15 +18,13 @@ jobs:
       uses: './.github/workflows/cache-packages.yml'
       with:
         os: ubuntu-20.04
-        install-node: true
         node: 14.x
   
   gem-package-download: # this downloads and caches all of the packages. We need this run on main so PRs to main can reuse the cache
     uses: './.github/workflows/cache-packages.yml'
     with:
       os: ubuntu-20.04
-      install-ruby: true
-      node: 2.7.7
+      ruby: 2.7.7
 
   eslint:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/js.yml b/.github/workflows/js.yml
index 65b37eb01..fe67093af 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/js.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/js.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ jobs:
     uses: "./.github/workflows/cache-packages.yml"
     with:
       os: ${{ matrix.os }}
-      install-node: true
       node: ${{ matrix.node }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -29,9 +28,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       - uses: ./.github/actions/after-checkout-prep
         with:
-          install-node: true
           node: ${{ matrix.node }}
-          install-ruby: true
           ruby: ${{ env.ruby }}
       - run: bin/setup ci
       - name: Generate JS routes
@@ -49,9 +46,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       - uses: ./.github/actions/after-checkout-prep
         with:
-          install-node: true
           node: ${{ matrix.node }}
-          install-ruby: true
           ruby: ${{ env.ruby }}
       - name: run setup
         run: bin/setup ci
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
index d483e9260..e3fa2e96c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -31,10 +31,8 @@ jobs:
     needs: changes
     with:
       os: ${{ matrix.os }}
-      install-node: ${{ contains(needs.changes.outputs.filters, 'build-js') }}
-      node: ${{ matrix.node }}
-      install-ruby: ${{ contains(needs.changes.outputs.filters, 'build-ruby') }}
-      ruby: ${{ matrix.ruby }}
+      node: ${{ contains(needs.changes.outputs.filters, 'build-js') && matrix.node }}
+      ruby: ${{ contains(needs.changes.outputs.filters, 'build-ruby') && matrix.ruby }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu-20.04]
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ruby.yml b/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
index 8a30a8141..cfb1124e4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@ jobs:
     uses: "./.github/workflows/cache-packages.yml"
     with:
       os: ${{ matrix.os }}
-      install-node: true
       node: ${{ matrix.node }}
-      install-ruby: true
       ruby:  ${{ matrix.ruby }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -38,9 +36,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       - uses: ./.github/actions/after-checkout-prep
         with:
-          install-node: true
           node: ${{ matrix.node }}
-          install-ruby: true
           ruby: ${{ matrix.ruby }}
       - name: install bess dependencies
         run: |