diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin-activerecord.yml b/.github/workflows/plugin-activerecord.yml
index de37515..503cb96 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin-activerecord.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin-activerecord.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ jobs:
     # (Nightly, only the comparison with the last release runs.)
     if: github.event_name != 'schedule'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # A hang fails the job, rather than running for GitHub's six hours
+    timeout-minutes: 20
     # The development versions (Ruby's, JRuby's and TruffleRuby's) get an
     # early look, but can't fail the build.
     continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
@@ -44,7 +46,8 @@ jobs:
         # JRuby runs the tests on SQLite through JDBC (it can't build the
         # sqlite3 gem, a C extension), whose adapter holds Active Record
         # to 7.2 there (the plugin itself is plain Ruby).
-        ruby-version: ["3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head", "jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head"]
+        # The slowest first, so they start before the rest of the queue
+        ruby-version: ["jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head", "3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head"]
         activerecord: [">= 7.2"]
         include:
           - ruby-version: "3.4"
@@ -67,6 +70,8 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
         env:
           COVERAGE: "false"
+          # JRuby's --dev starts each process faster, and the tests start many
+          JRUBY_OPTS: ${{ startsWith(matrix.ruby-version, 'jruby') && '--dev' || '' }}
         run: bundle exec rake test
       - name: Note an advisory failure
         if: steps.tests.outcome == 'failure'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin-gvl.yml b/.github/workflows/plugin-gvl.yml
index 75d7c9d..6db8c62 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin-gvl.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin-gvl.yml
@@ -35,13 +35,16 @@ jobs:
     # (Nightly, only the comparison with the last release runs.)
     if: github.event_name != 'schedule'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # A hang fails the job, rather than running for GitHub's six hours
+    timeout-minutes: 20
     # The development versions (Ruby's, JRuby's and TruffleRuby's) get an
     # early look, but can't fail the build.
     continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        ruby-version: ["3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head", "jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head"]
+        # The slowest first, so they start before the rest of the queue
+        ruby-version: ["jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head", "3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head"]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
       - uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
@@ -58,6 +61,8 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
         env:
           COVERAGE: "false"
+          # JRuby's --dev starts each process faster, and the tests start many
+          JRUBY_OPTS: ${{ startsWith(matrix.ruby-version, 'jruby') && '--dev' || '' }}
         run: bundle exec rake test
       - name: Note an advisory failure
         if: steps.tests.outcome == 'failure'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin-memcached.yml b/.github/workflows/plugin-memcached.yml
index 04a2e16..a66e64d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin-memcached.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin-memcached.yml
@@ -35,13 +35,16 @@ jobs:
     # (Nightly, only the comparison with the last release runs.)
     if: github.event_name != 'schedule'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # A hang fails the job, rather than running for GitHub's six hours
+    timeout-minutes: 20
     # The development versions (Ruby's, JRuby's and TruffleRuby's) get an
     # early look, but can't fail the build.
     continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        ruby-version: ["3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head", "jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head"]
+        # The slowest first, so they start before the rest of the queue
+        ruby-version: ["jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head", "3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head"]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
       - run: sudo apt-get install -y memcached
@@ -57,6 +60,8 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
         env:
           COVERAGE: "false"
+          # JRuby's --dev starts each process faster, and the tests start many
+          JRUBY_OPTS: ${{ startsWith(matrix.ruby-version, 'jruby') && '--dev' || '' }}
         run: bundle exec rake test
       - name: Note an advisory failure
         if: steps.tests.outcome == 'failure'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin-mysql.yml b/.github/workflows/plugin-mysql.yml
index e8771ff..ca5ccae 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin-mysql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin-mysql.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ jobs:
     # (Nightly, only the comparison with the last release runs.)
     if: github.event_name != 'schedule'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # A hang fails the job, rather than running for GitHub's six hours
+    timeout-minutes: 20
     # The development versions (Ruby's, JRuby's and TruffleRuby's) get an
     # early look, but can't fail the build.
     continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
@@ -44,7 +46,8 @@ jobs:
         # (On TruffleRuby the gem installs, but the tests skip: 40.0 fails
         # inside Trilogy#query, "dead handle", within a thousand or so
         # queries.)
-        ruby-version: ["3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head", "jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head"]
+        # The slowest first, so they start before the rest of the queue
+        ruby-version: ["jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head", "3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head"]
         exclude:
           # The trilogy gem, a runtime dependency, is a C extension: it
           # doesn't install on JRuby.
@@ -73,6 +76,8 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
         env:
           COVERAGE: "false"
+          # JRuby's --dev starts each process faster, and the tests start many
+          JRUBY_OPTS: ${{ startsWith(matrix.ruby-version, 'jruby') && '--dev' || '' }}
         run: bundle exec rake test
       - name: Note an advisory failure
         if: steps.tests.outcome == 'failure'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin-postgresql.yml b/.github/workflows/plugin-postgresql.yml
index 81564ed..66f85f4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin-postgresql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin-postgresql.yml
@@ -35,13 +35,16 @@ jobs:
     # (Nightly, only the comparison with the last release runs.)
     if: github.event_name != 'schedule'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # A hang fails the job, rather than running for GitHub's six hours
+    timeout-minutes: 20
     # The development versions (Ruby's, JRuby's and TruffleRuby's) get an
     # early look, but can't fail the build.
     continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        ruby-version: ["3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head", "jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head"]
+        # The slowest first, so they start before the rest of the queue
+        ruby-version: ["jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head", "3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head"]
         exclude:
           # The pg gem, a runtime dependency, is a C extension: it doesn't
           # install on JRuby.
@@ -65,6 +68,8 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
         env:
           COVERAGE: "false"
+          # JRuby's --dev starts each process faster, and the tests start many
+          JRUBY_OPTS: ${{ startsWith(matrix.ruby-version, 'jruby') && '--dev' || '' }}
         run: bundle exec rake test
       - name: Note an advisory failure
         if: steps.tests.outcome == 'failure'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin-redis.yml b/.github/workflows/plugin-redis.yml
index 364eb09..c7058fe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin-redis.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin-redis.yml
@@ -35,13 +35,16 @@ jobs:
     # (Nightly, only the comparison with the last release runs.)
     if: github.event_name != 'schedule'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # A hang fails the job, rather than running for GitHub's six hours
+    timeout-minutes: 20
     # The development versions (Ruby's, JRuby's and TruffleRuby's) get an
     # early look, but can't fail the build.
     continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        ruby-version: ["3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head", "jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head"]
+        # The slowest first, so they start before the rest of the queue
+        ruby-version: ["jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head", "3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head"]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
       - run: sudo apt-get install -y redis-server
@@ -57,6 +60,8 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
         env:
           COVERAGE: "false"
+          # JRuby's --dev starts each process faster, and the tests start many
+          JRUBY_OPTS: ${{ startsWith(matrix.ruby-version, 'jruby') && '--dev' || '' }}
         run: bundle exec rake test
       - name: Note an advisory failure
         if: steps.tests.outcome == 'failure'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin-retained.yml b/.github/workflows/plugin-retained.yml
index 3fcf98d..94b0940 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin-retained.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin-retained.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ jobs:
     # (Nightly, only the comparison with the last release runs.)
     if: github.event_name != 'schedule'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # A hang fails the job, rather than running for GitHub's six hours
+    timeout-minutes: 20
     # The development versions (Ruby's, JRuby's and TruffleRuby's) get an
     # early look, but can't fail the build.
     continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
@@ -44,7 +46,8 @@ jobs:
         # JRuby and TruffleRuby: the metric leaves itself out there, and
         # the tests check that a comparison still runs (skipping those
         # that measure, with the reason).
-        ruby-version: ["3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head", "jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head"]
+        # The slowest first, so they start before the rest of the queue
+        ruby-version: ["jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head", "3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head"]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
       - uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
@@ -59,6 +62,8 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
         env:
           COVERAGE: "false"
+          # JRuby's --dev starts each process faster, and the tests start many
+          JRUBY_OPTS: ${{ startsWith(matrix.ruby-version, 'jruby') && '--dev' || '' }}
         run: bundle exec rake test
       - name: Note an advisory failure
         if: steps.tests.outcome == 'failure'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index df7c01a..fe8f5a9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -22,13 +22,16 @@ jobs:
   test:
     name: ${{ matrix.ruby-version }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # A hang fails the job, rather than running for GitHub's six hours
+    timeout-minutes: 45
     # The development versions (Ruby's, JRuby's and TruffleRuby's) get an
     # early look, but can't fail the build.
     continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        ruby-version: ["3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head", "jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head"]
+        # The slowest first, so they start before the rest of the queue
+        ruby-version: ["jruby-10.0", "jruby-10.1", "jruby-head", "truffleruby-head", "3.4", "4.0", "ruby-head"]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
       - uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
@@ -42,6 +45,8 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: ${{ endsWith(matrix.ruby-version, '-head') }}
         env:
           COVERAGE: "false"
+          # JRuby's --dev starts each process faster, and the tests start many
+          JRUBY_OPTS: ${{ startsWith(matrix.ruby-version, 'jruby') && '--dev' || '' }}
         run: bundle exec rake test
       - name: Note an advisory failure
         if: steps.tests.outcome == 'failure'