diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 60f0f88fa..a7862db9e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -28,9 +28,10 @@ on:
       - 'Cargo.lock'
       - '.github/workflows/**'
 
+# main runs finish; any other ref cancels the older run of this workflow.
 concurrency:
   group: ci-gate-${{ github.ref_name }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.ref_name != 'main' }}
 
 # Every other workflow in the repo pins this rather than inheriting whatever the
 # repository default happens to be. This one is a pure caller today, so the four
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index b36896e9c..3c52eb7f9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ on:
   schedule:
     - cron: "44 3 * * 6"
 
+# main runs finish; any other ref cancels the older run of this workflow.
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref_name }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.ref_name != 'main' }}
 
 jobs:
   analyze:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cutile-rs.yml b/.github/workflows/cutile-rs.yml
index 2c3735f6d..21f21afd4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cutile-rs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cutile-rs.yml
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@ on:
       - "pull-request/[0-9]+"
   workflow_dispatch:
 
+# main runs finish; any other ref cancels the older run of this workflow.
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref_name }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.ref_name != 'main' }}
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs.yml b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
index 5fd315f68..98d6da40a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
@@ -26,9 +26,10 @@ on:
       - 'Cargo.lock'
       - '.github/workflows/**'
 
+# main runs finish; any other ref cancels the older run of this workflow.
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref_name }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.ref_name != 'main' }}
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/examples-compile.yml b/.github/workflows/examples-compile.yml
index 86db9f489..9efa9bd73 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/examples-compile.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/examples-compile.yml
@@ -26,9 +26,10 @@ on:
       - 'Cargo.lock'
       - '.github/workflows/**'
 
+# main runs finish; any other ref cancels the older run of this workflow.
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref_name }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.ref_name != 'main' }}
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/naming-guard.yml b/.github/workflows/naming-guard.yml
index 5a5a09b6f..429b6f26c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/naming-guard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/naming-guard.yml
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     branches: [main]
 
+# main runs finish; any other ref cancels the older run of this workflow.
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref_name }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.ref_name != 'main' }}
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/status-guard.yml b/.github/workflows/status-guard.yml
index b56320c34..a4c7a927d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/status-guard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/status-guard.yml
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     branches: [main]
 
+# main runs finish; any other ref cancels the older run of this workflow.
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref_name }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.ref_name != 'main' }}
 
 permissions:
   contents: read