diff --git a/.github/scripts/matrices.py b/.github/scripts/matrices.py
index 56a0026c0..12a06a454 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/matrices.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/matrices.py
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ def main():
                     os_str = f" ({target.target})"
 
                 name = case.name
-                flags = f"-E '{case.filter}'"
+                # NOTE(zk): filter out zk tests from upstream ci runs
+                flags = f"-E '{case.filter} & not (test(~zk) or test(~test_zk_aave_di) or package(~zksync))'"
                 if case.n_partitions > 1:
                     s = f"{partition}/{case.n_partitions}"
                     name += f" ({s})"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nextest.yml b/.github/workflows/nextest.yml
index 48f3b0b79..e2be19329 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nextest.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nextest.yml
@@ -94,4 +94,4 @@ jobs:
           SVM_TARGET_PLATFORM: ${{ matrix.svm_target_platform }}
           HTTP_ARCHIVE_URLS: ${{ secrets.HTTP_ARCHIVE_URLS }}
           WS_ARCHIVE_URLS: ${{ secrets.WS_ARCHIVE_URLS }}
-        run: cargo nextest run ${{ matrix.flags }} --filter-expr 'not (test(~zk) or test(~test_zk_aave_di))'
+        run: cargo nextest run ${{ matrix.flags }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 81886a5e7..c9cafc77a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ jobs:
           RUST_BACKTRACE: full
           TEST_MAINNET_URL: http://localhost:8011
         run: |
-          ZK_DEBUG_HISTORICAL_BLOCK_HASHES=5 cargo nextest run --package '*' --lib --test '*' --filter-expr 'test(~zk) and not test(~test_zk_aave_di)'
+          ZK_DEBUG_HISTORICAL_BLOCK_HASHES=5 cargo nextest run --package '*' --lib --test '*' -E '(test(~zk) or package(~zksync)) and not test(~test_zk_aave_di)'
 
   deny:
     uses: ithacaxyz/ci/.github/workflows/deny.yml@main