diff --git a/.github/workflows/wai-quantum-py-release.yml b/.github/workflows/wai-quantum-py-release.yml
index a3de41d8a..270698c61 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/wai-quantum-py-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/wai-quantum-py-release.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: wai-quantum for Python, release wheels
 # On a tag wai-quantum-cli-v<version> (the command line's release), builds the Python
 # package's wheels (wai/wai-quantum-py) and attaches them to the same forge release,
 # each with its SHA-256. One abi3 wheel per platform serves every Python from 3.9 on:
-#   macOS      arm64 and x86_64 (the x86_64 one cross-built on the Apple-silicon runner);
+#   macOS      arm64, and x86_64 built and smoke-tested on the Intel Mac (macos-x86_64);
 #   Linux      x86_64 and arm64, manylinux2014 (glibc 2.17), linked with zig so the
 #              runner's newer glibc does not leak into the wheel;
 #   Windows    x86_64.
@@ -54,13 +54,16 @@ jobs:
   macos:
     name: macOS · ${{ matrix.triple }}
     needs: version
-    runs-on: macos
+    # Each wheel on a Mac of its own architecture, so each runs tests/smoke.py before it is
+    # attached (the smoke test runs when the triple is the host's): x86_64 on the Intel Mac.
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.runner }}
     timeout-minutes: 60
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
-      max-parallel: 1
       matrix:
-        triple: [aarch64-apple-darwin, x86_64-apple-darwin]
+        include:
+          - { triple: aarch64-apple-darwin, runner: macos }
+          - { triple: x86_64-apple-darwin, runner: macos-x86_64 }
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v5
       # launchd's PATH omits cargo and uv on the macOS host runner.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/wai-release.yml b/.github/workflows/wai-release.yml
index e01657a7a..d5293a522 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/wai-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/wai-release.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ name: wai command line release
 # tag, each archive with its SHA-256. An archive holds bin/ (wai with the feature quickstart,
 # wai-relay, wai-room, wai-remote-host, wai-pack) and share/wai/web/ (the room
 # client, built once, on the macOS host, which has the WebAssembly toolchain):
-#   macOS      aarch64-apple-darwin and x86_64-apple-darwin;
+#   macOS      aarch64-apple-darwin, and x86_64-apple-darwin on the Intel Mac (macos-x86_64);
 #   Linux      x86_64- and aarch64-unknown-linux-musl, static, so any distribution runs it;
 #   Windows    x86_64-pc-windows-msvc, as a zip.
 # Each archive's own `wai` runs before it is attached (create --list, hello, verify, and on
@@ -81,13 +81,16 @@ jobs:
   macos:
     name: macOS · ${{ matrix.triple }}
     needs: [version, web]
-    runs-on: macos
+    # Each archive on a Mac of its own architecture, so its own `wai` runs before it is
+    # attached (the checks below run when the triple is the host's): x86_64 on the Intel Mac.
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.runner }}
     timeout-minutes: 120
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
-      max-parallel: 1
       matrix:
-        triple: [aarch64-apple-darwin, x86_64-apple-darwin]
+        include:
+          - { triple: aarch64-apple-darwin, runner: macos }
+          - { triple: x86_64-apple-darwin, runner: macos-x86_64 }
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v5
       - name: Put cargo on PATH