diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index c688e20b..dc2d2df4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ jobs:
       run: sudo apt-get install -y libyaml-dev
     - name: Install capa
       run: pip install -e .[dev]
+    - name: Run tests (fast)
+      # this set of tests runs about 80% of the cases in 20% of the time,
+      # and should catch most errors quickly.
+      run:  pre-commit run pytest-fast --all-files
     - name: Run tests
       run: pytest -v tests/
 
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index dbc6e80f..7e73306c 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -109,3 +109,21 @@ repos:
         -   "tests/"
         always_run: true
         pass_filenames: false
+
+-   repo: local
+    hooks:
+    -   id: pytest-fast
+        name: pytest (fast)
+        stages: []
+        language: system
+        entry: pytest
+        args: 
+        -   "tests/"
+        -   "--ignore=tests/test_binja_features.py"
+        -   "--ignore=tests/test_ghidra_features.py"
+        -   "--ignore=tests/test_ida_features.py"
+        -   "--ignore=tests/test_viv_features.py"
+        -   "--ignore=tests/test_main.py"
+        -   "--ignore=tests/test_scripts.py"
+        always_run: true
+        pass_filenames: false