diff --git a/.github/actions/archive-test-results/action.yml b/.github/actions/archive-test-results/action.yml
index b1ccf24e2..9089bbdbd 100644
--- a/.github/actions/archive-test-results/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/archive-test-results/action.yml
@@ -4,15 +4,13 @@ inputs:
     required: true
   file-name-stub:  # e.g. unit, integration
     required: true
-defaults:
-  run:
-    shell: bash
 runs:
   using: 'composite'
   steps:
     - name: Get current date
       if: always()
       id: date
+      shell: bash
       run: echo "date=$(date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H_%M_%S')" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT  # no colons allowed for artifacts
     - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
       if: always()
diff --git a/.github/actions/run-unit-tests/action.yml b/.github/actions/run-unit-tests/action.yml
index 567949a01..111be43b5 100644
--- a/.github/actions/run-unit-tests/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/run-unit-tests/action.yml
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@ inputs:
   python-version:
     required: true
     default: '3.8'
-defaults:
-  run:
-    shell: bash
 runs:
   using: 'composite'
   steps:
@@ -14,8 +11,10 @@ runs:
       with:
         python-version: ${{ inputs.python-version }}
     - name: Install dependencies
+      shell: bash
       run: |
         python -m pip install --user --upgrade pip
         python -m pip install .[test]
     - name: Run unit tests
+      shell: bash
       run: python -m pytest tests/unit