diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 002959d51..44517f8d5 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -221,11 +221,10 @@ jobs:
       - run: apt update && apt install -y ninja-build binutils meson gcc g++ pkg-config ragel gtk-doc-tools libfreetype6-dev libglib2.0-dev libcairo2-dev libicu-dev libgraphite2-dev python3 python3-pip git g++-mingw-w64-i686 zip
       - run: pip3 install fonttools --upgrade
       - run: pip3 install git+https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson # use C linker, remove when meson 0.55 is released
-      - run: meson build && ninja -Cbuild test && rm -rf build
+      # a regular meson run
+      - run: meson build && ninja -Cbuild test
       # test a meson based dist
-      - run: meson dist -Cbuild
-      # test meson unity builds
-      - run: meson build --unity on && ninja -Cbuild && rm -rf build
+      - run: meson dist -Cbuild && rm -rf build
       # test experimental APIs
       - run: meson build -Dexperimental_api=true && ninja -Cbuild test && rm -rf build
       # mingw