diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/windows.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/windows.yml
index 8fc08218d2..f116b8012d 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/windows.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/windows.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.shared_msys2_builder:
+msys2-64bit:
   extends: .base_job_template
   tags:
   - shared-windows
@@ -14,9 +14,20 @@
   stage: build
   timeout: 100m
   variables:
+    # Select the "64 bit, gcc and MSVCRT" MSYS2 environment
+    MSYSTEM: MINGW64
     # This feature doesn't (currently) work with PowerShell, it stops
     # the echo'ing of commands being run and doesn't show any timing
     FF_SCRIPT_SECTIONS: 0
+    # do not remove "--without-default-devices"!
+    # commit 9f8e6cad65a6 ("gitlab-ci: Speed up the msys2-64bit job by using --without-default-devices"
+    # changed to compile QEMU with the --without-default-devices switch
+    # for this job, because otherwise the build could not complete within
+    # the project timeout.
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS:  --target-list=x86_64-softmmu --without-default-devices -Ddebug=false -Doptimization=0
+    # qTests don't run successfully with "--without-default-devices",
+    # so let's exclude the qtests from CI for now.
+    TEST_ARGS: --no-suite qtest
   artifacts:
     name: "$CI_JOB_NAME-$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG"
     expire_in: 7 days
@@ -72,33 +83,35 @@
   - .\msys64\usr\bin\bash -lc "pacman -Sy --noconfirm --needed
       bison diffutils flex
       git grep make sed
-      $MINGW_TARGET-binutils
-      $MINGW_TARGET-capstone
-      $MINGW_TARGET-ccache
-      $MINGW_TARGET-curl
-      $MINGW_TARGET-cyrus-sasl
-      $MINGW_TARGET-dtc
-      $MINGW_TARGET-gcc
-      $MINGW_TARGET-glib2
-      $MINGW_TARGET-gnutls
-      $MINGW_TARGET-gtk3
-      $MINGW_TARGET-libgcrypt
-      $MINGW_TARGET-libjpeg-turbo
-      $MINGW_TARGET-libnfs
-      $MINGW_TARGET-libpng
-      $MINGW_TARGET-libssh
-      $MINGW_TARGET-libtasn1
-      $MINGW_TARGET-lzo2
-      $MINGW_TARGET-nettle
-      $MINGW_TARGET-ninja
-      $MINGW_TARGET-pixman
-      $MINGW_TARGET-pkgconf
-      $MINGW_TARGET-python
-      $MINGW_TARGET-SDL2
-      $MINGW_TARGET-SDL2_image
-      $MINGW_TARGET-snappy
-      $MINGW_TARGET-zstd
-      $EXTRA_PACKAGES "
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-binutils
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-capstone
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-ccache
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-curl
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-cyrus-sasl
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-dtc
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-gcc
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-glib2
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-gnutls
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-gtk3
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-libgcrypt
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-libjpeg-turbo
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-libnfs
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-libpng
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-libssh
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-libtasn1
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-libusb
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-lzo2
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-nettle
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-ninja
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-pixman
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-pkgconf
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-python
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-SDL2
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-SDL2_image
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-snappy
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-spice
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-usbredir
+      mingw-w64-x86_64-zstd"
   - Write-Output "Running build at $(Get-Date -Format u)"
   - $env:CHERE_INVOKING = 'yes'  # Preserve the current working directory
   - $env:MSYS = 'winsymlinks:native' # Enable native Windows symlink
@@ -115,19 +128,3 @@
   - ..\msys64\usr\bin\bash -lc "make check MTESTARGS='$TEST_ARGS' || { cat meson-logs/testlog.txt; exit 1; } ;"
   - ..\msys64\usr\bin\bash -lc "ccache --show-stats"
   - Write-Output "Finished build at $(Get-Date -Format u)"
-
-msys2-64bit:
-  extends: .shared_msys2_builder
-  variables:
-    MINGW_TARGET: mingw-w64-x86_64
-    MSYSTEM: MINGW64
-    # msys2 only ship these packages for 64-bit, not 32-bit
-    EXTRA_PACKAGES: $MINGW_TARGET-libusb $MINGW_TARGET-usbredir $MINGW_TARGET-spice
-    # do not remove "--without-default-devices"!
-    # commit 9f8e6cad65a6 ("gitlab-ci: Speed up the msys2-64bit job by using --without-default-devices"
-    # changed to compile QEMU with the --without-default-devices switch
-    # for the msys2 64-bit job, due to the build could not complete within
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS:  --target-list=x86_64-softmmu --without-default-devices -Ddebug=false -Doptimization=0
-    # qTests don't run successfully with "--without-default-devices",
-    # so let's exclude the qtests from CI for now.
-    TEST_ARGS: --no-suite qtest