diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index a7edd82e3ae9d..b79f775d350dd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -37,16 +37,18 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install dependencies
       run: node . install
 
-      # Run the tests
+      # Run the tests, but not if we're just gonna do coveralls later anyway
     - name: Run Tap tests
-      run: node . test -- -t600 -Rclassic -c
+      if: matrix.platform.os != 'ubuntu-latest' || matrix.node-version != '12.x'
+      run: node . test -- -t600 -Rbase -c
       env:
         DEPLOY_VERSION: testing
 
       # Run coverage check
     - name: Run coverage report
-      if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest' && matrix.node-version == '12.x'
-      run: node . test -- -t600 -Rclassic -c
+      if: matrix.platform.os == 'ubuntu-latest' && matrix.node-version == '12.x'
+      # turn off --check-coverage until 100%, so CI failure is relevant
+      run: node . run check-coverage -- -t600 --no-check-coverage -Rbase -c
       env:
         DEPLOY_VERSION: testing
         COVERALLS_REPO_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.COVERALLS_OPTIONAL_TOKEN }}
@@ -55,5 +57,7 @@ jobs:
     #   if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
     #   run: sudo PATH=$PATH $(which node) . test -- --coverage  --timeout 600
 
+    # no need to check licenses everywhere, they don't change between versions
     - name: Validate licenses
+      if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest' && matrix.node-version == '12.x'
       run: node . run licenses
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index afd7075bbb2b4..cd85746de00c6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@
     "preversion": "bash scripts/update-authors.sh && git add AUTHORS && git commit -m \"update AUTHORS\" || true",
     "licenses": "licensee --production --errors-only",
     "test": "tap",
+    "check-coverage": "tap",
     "snap": "tap",
     "test:nocleanup": "NO_TEST_CLEANUP=1 npm run test --",
     "sudotest": "sudo npm run test --",
diff --git a/test/coverage-map.js b/test/coverage-map.js
index 9c9dde834facd..cb2670129e9c0 100644
--- a/test/coverage-map.js
+++ b/test/coverage-map.js
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 'use strict'
 
+const full = process.env.npm_lifecycle_event === 'check-coverage'
 const coverageMap = (filename) => {
+  if (full && /load-all.js$/.test(filename)) {
+    const glob = require('glob')
+    const { resolve, relative } = require('path')
+    const dir = resolve(__dirname, '../lib')
+    return glob.sync(`${dir}/**/*.js`)
+      .map(f => relative(process.cwd(), f))
+  }
   if (/^test\/(lib|bin)\//.test(filename)) {
     return filename.replace(/^test\//, '')
   }
diff --git a/test/lib/load-all.js b/test/lib/load-all.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..72879c2c4448a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lib/load-all.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+const t = require('tap')
+const glob = require('glob')
+const { resolve } = require('path')
+
+const full = process.env.npm_lifecycle_event === 'check-coverage'
+
+if (!full) {
+  t.pass('nothing to do here, not checking for full coverage')
+} else {
+  // some files do config.get() on load, so have to load npm first
+  const npm = require('../../lib/npm.js')
+  t.test('load npm first', t => npm.load(t.end))
+
+  t.test('load all the files', t => {
+    // just load all the files so we measure coverage for the missing tests
+    const dir = resolve(__dirname, '../../lib')
+    for (const f of glob.sync(`${dir}/**/*.js`)) {
+      require(f)
+      t.pass('loaded ' + f)
+    }
+    t.pass('loaded all files')
+    t.end()
+  })
+
+  t.test('call the error handle so we dont freak out', t => {
+    const errorHandler = require('../../lib/utils/error-handler.js')
+    errorHandler()
+    t.end()
+  })
+}