diff --git a/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml b/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
index 981e09539..20ece9120 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
@@ -198,33 +198,24 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         include:
-          - target: Debug # tests only
-            os: macos-latest
-            xcode: 14.3.1 # Lowest supported version on GHA
-            qt_version: homebrew
+          - target: 12_Monterey_and_13_Ventura
+            os: macos-12
+            xcode: "14.0.1"
+            type: Release
+            make_package: 1
+
+          - target: 14_Sonoma
+            os: macos-14
+            xcode: "15.4"
+            type: Release
+            make_package: 1
+
+          - target: 14_Sonoma_Debug
+            os: macos-14
+            xcode: "15.4"
             type: Debug
-            do_tests: 1
 
-          - target: 10.15_Catalina
-            os: macos-11
-            xcode: 11.7 # allows using macOS 10.15 SDK, Lowest supported version on GHA
-            qt_version: 6.2.* # 6.2 is last LTS compatible with 10.15, see https://doc.qt.io/qt-6.5/macos.html
-            qt_modules: "qtmultimedia qtwebsockets"
-            type: Release
-            do_tests: 1
-            make_package: 1
-            use_old_protobuf: 1
-            qt_py7zrversion: '==0.20.*'
-
-          - target: 13_Ventura
-            os: macos-13
-            xcode: 14.1 # Lowest supported version on GHA
-            qt_version: homebrew
-            type: Release
-            do_tests: 1
-            make_package: 1
-
-    name: macOS ${{matrix.target}}
+    name: macOS${{matrix.target}}
     needs: configure
     runs-on: ${{matrix.os}}
     continue-on-error: ${{matrix.allow-failure == 'yes'}}
@@ -236,45 +227,22 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Install dependencies using homebrew
+      - name: Install dependencies using Homebrew
         shell: bash
         # cmake cannot find the mysql connector
         # neither of these works: mariadb-connector-c mysql-connector-c++
         env:
-          install_qt: ${{matrix.qt_version}}
-          use_old_protobuf: ${{matrix.use_old_protobuf}}
           HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALLED_DEPENDENTS_CHECK: 1
         run: |
           brew update
-          if [[ $use_old_protobuf == 1 ]]; then
-            brew install protobuf@21
-            brew link --force protobuf@21
-          else
-            brew install protobuf
-            brew link --force protobuf
-          fi
-          if [[ $install_qt == homebrew ]]; then
-            brew install qt --force-bottle
-          else # for some reason the tests fail with the action installed qt?
-            brew install googletest
-          fi
-
-      - name: Install Qt ${{matrix.qt_version}} for ${{matrix.target}}
-        if: matrix.qt_version != 'homebrew'
-        uses: jurplel/install-qt-action@v3
-        with:
-          cache: true
-          setup-python: false
-          version: ${{matrix.qt_version}}
-          modules: ${{matrix.qt_modules}}
-          py7zrversion: ${{matrix.qt_py7zrversion}}
+          brew install protobuf qt --force-bottle
 
       - name: Build on Xcode ${{matrix.xcode}}
         shell: bash
         id: build
         env:
           BUILDTYPE: '${{matrix.type}}'
-          MAKE_TEST: '${{matrix.do_tests}}'
+          MAKE_TEST: 1
           MAKE_PACKAGE: '${{matrix.make_package}}'
           PACKAGE_SUFFIX: '-macOS-${{matrix.target}}'
         # macOS runner actually have only 3 cores