diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index faefcb2a09..0231e0ce72 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ name: "Build"
 on: [push, pull_request, workflow_dispatch]
 
 jobs:
-  build:
+  test:
+    name: Test (${{ matrix.java }})
     runs-on: ubuntu-18.04
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -17,9 +18,11 @@ jobs:
           path: |
             ~/.m2/repository
             !~/.m2/repository/org/apache/activemq/artemis-*
-          key: ${{ runner.os }}-maven-${{ hashFiles('**/pom.xml') }}
+            !~/.m2/repository/org/apache/activemq/*-artemis
+            !~/.m2/repository/org/apache/activemq/examples
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-maven-test-${{ hashFiles('**/pom.xml') }}
           restore-keys: |
-            ${{ runner.os }}-maven-
+            ${{ runner.os }}-maven-test-
 
       - name: Install JDK ${{ matrix.java }}
         uses: actions/setup-java@v2
@@ -28,23 +31,55 @@ jobs:
           distribution: 'adopt'
 
       # use 'install' so smoke-tests will work
-      # use '-Pextra-tests' to ensure extra-tests compiles even though they won't actually run
       # By setting anything to org.apache.activemq.artemis.core.io.aio.AIOSequentialFileFactory.DISABLED we are disabling libaio loading on the testsuite
+      - name: Fast Tests
+        run: |
+          mvn -s .github/maven-settings.xml -Dorg.apache.activemq.artemis.core.io.aio.AIOSequentialFileFactory.DISABLED=AnythingNotNull -Pfast-tests -Ptests-CI install
+
+
+  checks:
+    name: Checks (${{ matrix.java }})
+    runs-on: ubuntu-18.04
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        java: [ 8, 11, 16 ]
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - uses: actions/cache@v2
+        with:
+          path: |
+            ~/.m2/repository
+            !~/.m2/repository/org/apache/activemq/artemis-*
+            !~/.m2/repository/org/apache/activemq/*-artemis
+            !~/.m2/repository/org/apache/activemq/examples
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-maven-checks-${{ hashFiles('**/pom.xml') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            ${{ runner.os }}-maven-checks-
+            ${{ runner.os }}-maven-test-
+
+      - name: Install JDK ${{ matrix.java }}
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v2
+        with:
+          java-version: ${{ matrix.java }}
+          distribution: 'adopt'
+
       - name: Build Main
         run: |
-          mvn -s .github/maven-settings.xml -Dorg.apache.activemq.artemis.core.io.aio.AIOSequentialFileFactory.DISABLED=AnythingNotNull -Derrorprone -Pdev -Pfast-tests -Pextra-tests -Ptests-CI -Pjmh install
+          mvn -s .github/maven-settings.xml -DskipTests -Derrorprone -Pdev -Pextra-tests -Pjmh install
 
       - name: Build Examples (JDK8 / -Prelease)
         if: matrix.java == '8'
         run: |
           cd examples
-          mvn -s ../.github/maven-settings.xml install -Prelease
+          mvn -s ../.github/maven-settings.xml verify -Prelease
 
       - name: Build Examples (JDK 11+ / -Pexamples,noRun)
         if: matrix.java != '8'
         run: |
           cd examples
-          mvn -s ../.github/maven-settings.xml install -Pexamples,noRun
+          mvn -s ../.github/maven-settings.xml verify -Pexamples,noRun
 
       - name: Javadoc Check (JDK8 / -Prelease)
         if: matrix.java == '8'