diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/check.yml b/.gitea/workflows/check.yml
index c2d6f30..c88059f 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/check.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/check.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 #
 # Catches the regressions that hurt today:
 #   1. Flake stops evaluating (broken option ref, missing import, etc.).
+#      Checked per-output rather than via `nix flake check` so we can skip
+#      packages.allThemeVariants — the 22-generation linkFarm that OOMs the
+#      runner; every palette is validated one-at-a-time by the matrix (4).
 #   2. A `nomarchy-*` shell script has a syntax error or a shellcheck
 #      error-severity issue.
 #   3. `docs/SCRIPTS.md` drifts from the repo state because somebody
@@ -84,8 +87,36 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           nix build --no-link --impure --expr 'let f = builtins.getFlake (toString ./.); in f.inputs.walker.packages.${builtins.currentSystem}.default.src'
 
-      - name: nix flake check --no-build
-        run: nix flake check --no-build
+      - name: Check flake outputs (except the 22-variant pre-cache package)
+        # Stand-in for `nix flake check --no-build`. That also evaluates
+        # packages.allThemeVariants — a linkFarm whose drvPath forces all 22
+        # home generations into memory at once, OOM-killing the runner. The
+        # eval matrix below already validates every palette one-at-a-time, so
+        # that package's CI value is near-zero. Here we force every other
+        # output (all 4 system closures incl. assertions, both standalone
+        # home generations, the installer VM package, the overlay, the app)
+        # and skip only allThemeVariants/default. Each tryEval is GC'd before
+        # the next, so peak memory is one config, not twenty-two.
+        run: |
+          nix eval --impure --raw --expr 'let
+            f = builtins.getFlake (toString ./.);
+            lib = f.inputs.nixpkgs.lib;
+            sys = "x86_64-linux";
+            ok = x: (builtins.tryEval (builtins.seq x true)).success;
+            checks = {
+              "nixos.default"            = ok f.nixosConfigurations.default.config.system.build.toplevel.drvPath;
+              "nixos.nomarchy-installer" = ok f.nixosConfigurations.nomarchy-installer.config.system.build.toplevel.drvPath;
+              "nixos.installerVm"        = ok f.nixosConfigurations.installerVm.config.system.build.toplevel.drvPath;
+              "nixos.nomarchy-live"      = ok f.nixosConfigurations.nomarchy-live.config.system.build.toplevel.drvPath;
+              "home.nomarchy"            = ok f.homeConfigurations.nomarchy.activationPackage.drvPath;
+              "home.nixos"               = ok f.homeConfigurations.nixos.activationPackage.drvPath;
+              "packages.installerVm"     = ok f.packages.${sys}.installerVm.drvPath;
+              "overlays.default"         = ok (builtins.isFunction f.overlays.default);
+              "apps.installerVm"         = ok f.apps.${sys}.installerVm.program;
+            };
+            failed = builtins.attrNames (lib.filterAttrs (_: v: !v) checks);
+          in if failed == [] then "ALL OK"
+             else throw ("flake-output checks failed: " + builtins.concatStringsSep ", " failed)'
 
       - name: Evaluate opt-in toggle / palette / home matrix
         # flake check never flips a nomarchy.* toggle; this does. jq is