diff --git a/.ci/scripts/calculate_jobs.py b/.ci/scripts/calculate_jobs.py
index 99afabbb6c62..b41ec0b6e2dc 100755
--- a/.ci/scripts/calculate_jobs.py
+++ b/.ci/scripts/calculate_jobs.py
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ def set_output(key: str, value: str):
 sytest_tests = [
     {
         "sytest-tag": "focal",
-        "postgres": False,
     },
     {
         "sytest-tag": "focal",
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 614cc09420b1..6c2298499777 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -398,9 +398,9 @@ jobs:
         - ${{ github.workspace }}:/src
       env:
         SYTEST_BRANCH: ${{ github.head_ref }}
-        POSTGRES: ${{ matrix.job.postgres == 'postgres' && 1}}
-        MULTI_POSTGRES: ${{ (matrix.job.postgres == 'multi-postgres') && 1}}
-        ASYNCIO_REACTOR: ${{ (matrix.job.reactor == 'asyncio') && 1 }}
+        POSTGRES: ${{ matrix.job.postgres && 1}}
+        MULTI_POSTGRES: ${{ (matrix.job.postgres == 'multi-postgres') || '' }}
+        ASYNCIO_REACTOR: ${{ (matrix.job.reactor == 'asyncio') || '' }}
         WORKERS: ${{ matrix.job.workers && 1 }}
         BLACKLIST: ${{ matrix.job.workers && 'synapse-blacklist-with-workers' }}
         TOP: ${{ github.workspace }}