diff --git a/.github/workflows/rspec_tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/rspec_tests.yaml
index bbeabbfe648..ce509ec5f91 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/rspec_tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/rspec_tests.yaml
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ jobs:
           Get-ChildItem Env: | % { Write-Output "$($_.Key): $($_.Value)"  }
           # list current OpenSSL install
           gem list openssl
-          ruby -ropenssl -e 'puts \"OpenSSL Version - #{OpenSSL::OPENSSL_VERSION}\"; puts \"OpenSSL Library Version - #{OpenSSL::OPENSSL_LIBRARY_VERSION}\"'
+          ruby -ropenssl -e 'puts "OpenSSL Version - #{OpenSSL::OPENSSL_VERSION}"; puts "OpenSSL Library Version - #{OpenSSL::OPENSSL_LIBRARY_VERSION}"'
           Get-Content Gemfile.lock
           ruby -v
           gem --version
diff --git a/spec/integration/directory_environments_spec.rb b/spec/integration/directory_environments_spec.rb
index 79815dd3939..e67b599b54c 100644
--- a/spec/integration/directory_environments_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/directory_environments_spec.rb
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
     it 'given an 8.3 style path on Windows, will config print an expanded path',
       :if => Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? do
+      pending("GH runners seem to have disabled 8.3 support")
 
       # ensure an 8.3 style path is set for environmentpath
       shortened = Puppet::Util::Windows::File.get_short_pathname(Puppet[:environmentpath])
diff --git a/spec/integration/node/environment_spec.rb b/spec/integration/node/environment_spec.rb
index 340a9fd2cbe..71749b50a9f 100644
--- a/spec/integration/node/environment_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/node/environment_spec.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ def a_module_in(name, dir)
 
   it "should expand 8.3 paths on Windows when creating an environment",
     :if => Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? do
+    pending("GH runners seem to have disabled 8.3 support")
 
     # asking for short names only works on paths that exist
     base = Puppet::Util::Windows::File.get_short_pathname(tmpdir("env_modules"))
diff --git a/spec/unit/file_system_spec.rb b/spec/unit/file_system_spec.rb
index c1740269295..c297c7b4ff9 100644
--- a/spec/unit/file_system_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/file_system_spec.rb
@@ -908,6 +908,8 @@ def increment_counter_in_multiple_processes(file, num_procs, options)
         end
 
         it 'should expand a shortened path completely, unlike Ruby File.expand_path' do
+          pending("GH runners seem to have disabled 8.3 support")
+
           tmp_long_dir = tmpdir('super-long-thing-that-Windows-shortens')
           short_path = Puppet::Util::Windows::File.get_short_pathname(tmp_long_dir)
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/util/autoload_spec.rb b/spec/unit/util/autoload_spec.rb
index 803e195cbd0..ab14b44b481 100644
--- a/spec/unit/util/autoload_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/util/autoload_spec.rb
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@ def with_libdir(libdir)
     end
 
     it "autoloads from a directory whose ancestor is Windows 8.3", if: Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? do
+      pending("GH runners seem to have disabled 8.3 support")
+
       # File.expand_path will expand ~ in the last directory component only(!)
       # so create an ancestor directory with a long path
       dir = File.join(tmpdir('longpath'), 'short')