diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index bf22cb091d..538182a09f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   check:
+    name: "analyze, test, generate"
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v6
@@ -14,6 +15,24 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install system dependencies
       run: TERM=dumb sudo apt install libsqlite3-dev -y
 
+    - name: Clone Flutter SDK
+      run: tools/ci/clone-flutter-sdk
+
+    - name: Download Flutter SDK artifacts (flutter precache)
+      run: flutter precache --universal
+
+    - name: Download our dependencies (flutter pub get)
+      run: flutter pub get
+
+    - name: Run tools/check
+      run: TERM=dumb tools/check --no-pub --all --output ci --exclude android
+
+  android:
+    name: "Android build and lint"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+
     - name: Set up JDK
       uses: actions/setup-java@v5
       with:
@@ -30,4 +49,4 @@ jobs:
       run: flutter pub get
 
     - name: Run tools/check
-      run: TERM=dumb tools/check --no-pub --all --output ci
+      run: TERM=dumb tools/check --all --output ci android
diff --git a/tools/check b/tools/check
index 8cfe5ff603..ab8db38140 100755
--- a/tools/check
+++ b/tools/check
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ What tests to run:
               \`git help revisions\` for many more ways to name a commit.)
   --all       In the given suites, run on all files. If no list of suites
               was specified, run all suites.
+  --exclude SUITE
+              Don't run the given suite, despite \`--all\`
+              or the suite appearing as a positional argument.
 
 Extra things to do, or skip doing:
   --fix       Fix issues found, where possible.
@@ -82,10 +85,27 @@ EOF
     exit 2
 }
 
+all_suites=( "${default_suites[@]}" "${extra_suites[@]}" )
+
+# usage: is_suite PUTATIVE_SUITE
+#
+# Succeeds just if the given argument is the name of a suite.
+is_suite() {
+    needle="$1"
+    # This logic relies on the fact that the suite names have no spaces.
+
+    ! [[ "${needle}" =~ " " ]] \
+    || return
+
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2076  # matching literally is the point
+    [[ " ${all_suites[*]} " =~ " ${needle} " ]]
+}
+
 orig_cmdline="$0 $*"
 
 opt_files=branch
 opt_all=
+opt_exclude=()
 opt_fix=
 opt_no_pub=
 opt_output=default
@@ -95,13 +115,14 @@ while (( $# )); do
         --diff) shift; opt_files=diff:"$1"; shift;;
         --all-files) opt_files=all; shift;;
         --all) opt_files=all; opt_all=1; shift;;
+        --exclude) shift; if ! is_suite "$1"; then usage; else
+            opt_exclude+=("$1"); shift; fi;;
         --fix) opt_fix=1; shift;;
         --no-pub) opt_no_pub=1; shift;;
         --output) shift; opt_output="$1"; shift;;
         --verbose) opt_output=verbose; shift;;
-        analyze|test|flutter_version|build_runner|l10n|drift|pigeon|icons|android|shellcheck)
-            opt_suites+=("$1"); shift;;
-        *) usage;;
+        *) if ! is_suite "$1"; then usage; else
+            opt_suites+=("$1"); shift; fi;;
     esac
 done
 
@@ -115,12 +136,23 @@ esac
 
 if (( ! "${#opt_suites[@]}" )); then
     if [ -n "${opt_all}" ]; then
-        opt_suites=( "${default_suites[@]}" "${extra_suites[@]}" )
+        opt_suites=( "${all_suites[@]}" )
     else
         opt_suites=( "${default_suites[@]}" )
     fi
 fi
 
+if (( "${#opt_exclude[@]}" )); then
+    # This logic relies on suite names having no spaces nor glob characters.
+    suites_str=" ${opt_suites[*]} "
+    for suite in "${opt_exclude[@]}"; do
+        suites_str="${suites_str/ "$suite" / }"
+    done
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2206  # see comment at top of block
+    opt_suites=( ${suites_str} )
+    (( "${#opt_suites[@]}" )) || usage
+fi
+
 files_base_commit=
 # shellcheck disable=SC2119  # this is a silly warning
 case "$opt_files" in
@@ -149,6 +181,21 @@ if_verbose() {
   fi
 }
 
+# usage: maybe_time LABEL COMMAND...
+#
+# Run the given command.
+# Then if $opt_verbose, print the command's elapsed time,
+# including the given label.
+maybe_time() {
+    label="$1"; shift
+    if [ -z "${opt_verbose}" ]; then
+       "$@"
+    else
+        local TIMEFORMAT=$'\n'$"${label} elapsed time: %1lR"
+        time "$@"
+    fi
+}
+
 # usage: grep_quiet_hungry GREP_ARGUMENTS...
 #
 # Just like `grep --quiet` aka `grep -q`, except this consumes the
@@ -533,16 +580,17 @@ for suite in "${opt_suites[@]}"; do
     if_verbose echo "${divider_line}"
     echo "Running $suite..."
     case "$suite" in
-        analyze)      run_analyze ;;
-        test)         run_test ;;
-        flutter_version) run_flutter_version ;;
-        build_runner) run_build_runner ;;
-        l10n)         run_l10n ;;
-        drift)        run_drift ;;
-        pigeon)       run_pigeon ;;
-        icons)        run_icons ;;
-        android)      run_android ;;
-        shellcheck)   run_shellcheck ;;
+        analyze)      maybe_time "$suite" run_analyze ;;
+        test)         maybe_time "$suite" run_test ;;
+        flutter_version)
+                      maybe_time "$suite" run_flutter_version ;;
+        build_runner) maybe_time "$suite" run_build_runner ;;
+        l10n)         maybe_time "$suite" run_l10n ;;
+        drift)        maybe_time "$suite" run_drift ;;
+        pigeon)       maybe_time "$suite" run_pigeon ;;
+        icons)        maybe_time "$suite" run_icons ;;
+        android)      maybe_time "$suite" run_android ;;
+        shellcheck)   maybe_time "$suite" run_shellcheck ;;
         *)            echo >&2 "Internal error: unknown suite $suite" ;;
     esac || failed+=( "$suite" )
 done