diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index c589cfe71..0760b3a36 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ jobs:
     name: Lint code (${{ needs.conf.outputs.latest_python }}, ubuntu-latest)
     needs: conf
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -l {0}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
@@ -44,12 +47,10 @@ jobs:
           miniforge-variant: ${{ env.miniforge_variant }}
           environment-file: ci/conda_host_env.yml
       - name: Install dependencies
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: |
           pip install -r ci/requirements.lint.txt
           conda list
       - name: Run Ruff
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: |
           ruff check --output-format=github .
 
@@ -57,6 +58,9 @@ jobs:
     name: Build Documentation (${{ needs.conf.outputs.latest_python }}, ubuntu-latest)
     needs: ["conf", "lint"]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -l {0}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
@@ -67,18 +71,15 @@ jobs:
           miniforge-variant: ${{ env.miniforge_variant }}
           environment-file: ci/conda_host_env.yml
       - name: Install dependencies
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: |
           pip install -r ci/requirements.doc.txt
           pip install .
           conda list
       - name: Make documentation
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: make doc
       # save built documentation (HTML) for deployment
       - name: Substitute URLs
         if: github.event_name == 'push'
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: python doc/suburl.py
       - name: Save documentation
         if: github.event_name == 'push'
@@ -94,6 +95,9 @@ jobs:
     env:
       MPLBACKEND: Agg
       USE_CYTHON: TRUE
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -l {0}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: true
       matrix:
@@ -108,12 +112,10 @@ jobs:
           miniforge-variant: ${{ env.miniforge_variant }}
           environment-file: ci/conda_host_env.yml
       - name: Install dependencies
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: |
           pip install .
           conda list
       - name: Run unit tests
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         env:
           WITH_COVERAGE: "TRUE"
         run: make test
@@ -150,6 +152,9 @@ jobs:
     env:
       # not testing Cython here, whether the Cython compiles to C is tested above
       MPLBACKEND: Agg
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -l {0}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -167,19 +172,16 @@ jobs:
           environment-file: ci/conda_host_env.yml
       - name: Install dependencies (conda)
         if: ${{ matrix.use_conda }}
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: |
           conda install -q --yes -c conda-forge --file ci/conda_requirements.txt
           pip install . --no-deps
           conda list
       - name: Install dependencies
         if: ${{ !matrix.use_conda }}
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: |
           pip install .
           conda list
       - name: Run unit tests
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         env:
           WITH_COVERAGE: "TRUE"
         run: make test
@@ -191,6 +193,9 @@ jobs:
     if: github.event_name == 'push'
     needs: ["doc", "test-all", "test-cython-aarch64"]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -l {0}
     steps:
       # load documentation built by job "doc"
       - name: Load documentation
@@ -207,11 +212,9 @@ jobs:
           ssh-key: ${{ secrets.SSH_DEPLOY_KEY }}
       # synchronize documentation to website's docs/dev directory
       - name: Update documentation
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: rsync -av --delete docpack/ website/docs/dev
       # push website back to repo
       - name: Push website
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: |
           cd website
           git config user.name "${{ github.actor }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/website.yml b/.github/workflows/website.yml
index 9dafbe249..79aeb63bd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/website.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/website.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ jobs:
   build:
     name: Build website
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -l {0}
     steps:
       - name: Check out repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -31,21 +34,17 @@ jobs:
           miniforge-variant: ${{ env.miniforge_variant }}
 
       - name: Install dependencies
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: pip install -r ci/requirements.doc.txt
 
       - name: Make website
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: make web
 
       - name: Substitute URLs
         if: github.event_name == 'push'
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: python web/suburl.py
 
       - name: Add version list
         if: github.event_name == 'push'
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: cp web/versions.json web/_build/html/
 
       - name: Save website package
@@ -60,6 +59,9 @@ jobs:
     if: github.event_name == 'push'
     needs: build
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -l {0}
     steps:
       - name: Check out repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -78,11 +80,9 @@ jobs:
           ssh-key: ${{ secrets.SSH_DEPLOY_KEY }}
 
       - name: Update website
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: rsync -av --delete --exclude-from web/.exclude webpack/ website
 
       - name: Push website
-        shell: bash -l {0}
         run: |
           cd website
           git config user.name "${{ github.actor }}"