diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 9213705d85c1..550e16b96e3b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -55,10 +55,33 @@ jobs:
       # Only check cargo lib for now
       - run: cargo clippy -p cargo --lib -- -D warnings
 
+  # Generate strategy matrix for different platforms and channels
+  # (see ci/matrix.json)
+  matrix:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs:
+    - channel
+    outputs:
+      matrix: ${{ steps.matrix.outputs.matrix }}
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+    - name: Generate strategy matrix
+      id: matrix
+      run: |
+        CHANNEL=${{ needs.channel.outputs.CHANNEL }}
+        MATRIX=$(
+          jq --arg C "$CHANNEL" 'map (. | 
+            if ($C == "beta") then select(.rust | startswith("nightly") | not)
+            elif ($C == "stable") then select(.rust | startswith("stable"))
+            else . end)' ci/matrix.json
+        )
+        echo "$MATRIX"
+        echo "MATRIX={\"include\":$(echo $MATRIX)}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
   test:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     needs:
-    - channel
+    - matrix
     env:
       CARGO_PROFILE_DEV_DEBUG: 1
       CARGO_PROFILE_TEST_DEBUG: 1
@@ -67,82 +90,37 @@ jobs:
       # Deny warnings on CI to avoid warnings getting into the codebase.
       RUSTFLAGS: -D warnings
     strategy:
-      matrix:
-        include:
-        - name: Linux x86_64 stable
-          os: ubuntu-latest
-          rust: stable
-          other: i686-unknown-linux-gnu
-          if: always()
-        - name: Linux x86_64 beta
-          os: ubuntu-latest
-          rust: beta
-          other: i686-unknown-linux-gnu
-          if: ${{ needs.channel.outputs.CHANNEL == 'beta' || needs.channel.outputs.CHANNEL == 'nightly' }}
-        - name: Linux x86_64 nightly
-          os: ubuntu-latest
-          rust: nightly
-          other: i686-unknown-linux-gnu
-          if: ${{ needs.channel.outputs.CHANNEL == 'nightly' }}
-        - name: macOS x86_64 stable
-          os: macos-latest
-          rust: stable
-          other: x86_64-apple-ios
-          if: always()
-        - name: macOS x86_64 nightly
-          os: macos-latest
-          rust: nightly
-          other: x86_64-apple-ios
-          if: ${{ needs.channel.outputs.CHANNEL == 'nightly' }}
-        - name: Windows x86_64 MSVC stable
-          os: windows-latest
-          rust: stable-msvc
-          other: i686-pc-windows-msvc
-          if: always()
-        - name: Windows x86_64 gnu nightly # runs out of space while trying to link the test suite
-          os: windows-latest
-          rust: nightly-gnu
-          other: i686-pc-windows-gnu
-          if: ${{ needs.channel.outputs.CHANNEL == 'nightly' }}
+      matrix: ${{ fromJSON(needs.matrix.outputs.MATRIX) }}
     name: Tests ${{ matrix.name }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-      if: matrix.if
     - name: Dump Environment
       run: ci/dump-environment.sh
-      if: matrix.if
     - name: Update Rustup (temporary workaround)
       run: rustup self update
       shell: bash
-      if: matrix.if && startsWith(matrix.os, 'windows')
+      if: startsWith(matrix.os, 'windows')
     - run: rustup update --no-self-update ${{ matrix.rust }} && rustup default ${{ matrix.rust }}
-      if: matrix.if
     - run: rustup target add ${{ matrix.other }}
-      if: matrix.if
     - run: rustup component add rustc-dev llvm-tools-preview rust-docs
-      if: matrix.if && startsWith(matrix.rust, 'nightly')
+      if: startsWith(matrix.rust, 'nightly')
     - run: sudo apt update -y && sudo apt install gcc-multilib libsecret-1-0 libsecret-1-dev -y
-      if: matrix.if && matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
+      if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
     - run: rustup component add rustfmt || echo "rustfmt not available"
-      if: matrix.if
     - name: Configure extra test environment
       run: echo CARGO_CONTAINER_TESTS=1 >> $GITHUB_ENV
-      if: matrix.if && matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
+      if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
     - run: cargo test
-      if: matrix.if
     - name: Clear intermediate test output
       run: ci/clean-test-output.sh
-      if: matrix.if
     - name: gitoxide tests (all git-related tests)
       run: cargo test git
       env:
         __CARGO_USE_GITOXIDE_INSTEAD_OF_GIT2: 1
-      if: matrix.if
       # The testsuite generates a huge amount of data, and fetch-smoke-test was
     # running out of disk space.
     - name: Clear test output
       run: ci/clean-test-output.sh
-      if: matrix.if
     - name: Check operability of rustc invocation with argfile
       env:
         __CARGO_TEST_FORCE_ARGFILE: 1
@@ -150,29 +128,21 @@ jobs:
         # This only tests `cargo fix` because fix-proxy-mode is one of the most
         # complicated subprocess management in Cargo.
         cargo test --test testsuite -- fix::
-      if: matrix.if
     - run: cargo test --manifest-path crates/cargo-test-support/Cargo.toml
       env:
         CARGO_TARGET_DIR: target
-      if: matrix.if
     - run: cargo test -p cargo-test-support
-      if: matrix.if
     - run: cargo test -p cargo-platform
-      if: matrix.if
     - run: cargo test -p cargo-util
-      if: matrix.if
     - run: cargo test --manifest-path crates/home/Cargo.toml
-      if: matrix.if
     - run: cargo test --manifest-path crates/mdman/Cargo.toml
-      if: matrix.if
     - run: cargo build --manifest-path crates/credential/cargo-credential-1password/Cargo.toml
-      if: matrix.if
     - run: cargo build --manifest-path crates/credential/cargo-credential-gnome-secret/Cargo.toml
-      if: matrix.if && matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
+      if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
     - run: cargo build --manifest-path crates/credential/cargo-credential-macos-keychain/Cargo.toml
-      if: matrix.if && matrix.os == 'macos-latest'
+      if: matrix.os == 'macos-latest'
     - run: cargo build --manifest-path crates/credential/cargo-credential-wincred/Cargo.toml
-      if: matrix.if && matrix.os == 'windows-latest'
+      if: matrix.os == 'windows-latest'
     - name: Check benchmarks
       env:
         # Share the target dir to try to cache a few build-time deps.
@@ -182,15 +152,12 @@ jobs:
         # download all workspaces.
         cargo test --manifest-path benches/benchsuite/Cargo.toml --all-targets -- cargo
         cargo check --manifest-path benches/capture/Cargo.toml
-      if: matrix.if
     # The testsuite generates a huge amount of data, and fetch-smoke-test was
     # running out of disk space.
     - name: Clear benchmark output
       run: ci/clean-test-output.sh
-      if: matrix.if
     - name: Fetch smoke test
       run: ci/fetch-smoke-test.sh
-      if: matrix.if
 
   resolver:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/ci/matrix.json b/ci/matrix.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f325caefd123
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/matrix.json
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+[
+  {
+    "name": "Linux x86_64 stable",
+    "os": "ubuntu-latest",
+    "rust": "stable",
+    "other": "i686-unknown-linux-gnu"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "Linux x86_64 beta",
+    "os": "ubuntu-latest",
+    "rust": "beta",
+    "other": "i686-unknown-linux-gnu"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "Linux x86_64 nightly",
+    "os": "ubuntu-latest",
+    "rust": "nightly",
+    "other": "i686-unknown-linux-gnu"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "macOS x86_64 stable",
+    "os": "macos-latest",
+    "rust": "stable",
+    "other": "x86_64-apple-ios"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "macOS x86_64 nightly",
+    "os": "macos-latest",
+    "rust": "nightly",
+    "other": "x86_64-apple-ios"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "Windows x86_64 MSVC stable",
+    "os": "windows-latest",
+    "rust": "stable-msvc",
+    "other": "i686-pc-windows-msvc"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "Windows x86_64 gnu nightly",
+    "os": "windows-latest",
+    "rust": "nightly-gnu",
+    "other": "i686-pc-windows-gnu"
+  }
+]