diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli-win.yml b/.github/workflows/cli-win.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..52ec1b8b27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli-win.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+name: CLI Test Windows
+
+# Building on windows is really slow, so this workflow is separate from cli.yml and only builds on changes
+# to the cli itself. They're more likely to introduce issues on windows, compared to changes to core and yarn.lock.
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - '.github/workflows/cli-win.yml'
+      - 'packages/cli/**'
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        os: [windows-latest]
+        node-version: [12.x]
+
+    env:
+      CI: true
+      NODE_OPTIONS: --max-old-space-size=4096
+
+    name: Node ${{ matrix.node-version }} on ${{ matrix.os }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: find location of global yarn cache
+        id: yarn-cache
+        run: echo "::set-output name=dir::$(yarn cache dir)"
+      - name: cache global yarn cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
+        with:
+          path: ${{ steps.yarn-cache.outputs.dir }}
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-yarn-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            ${{ runner.os }}-yarn-
+      - name: use node.js ${{ matrix.node-version }}
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v1
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
+      - name: yarn install
+        run: yarn install --frozen-lockfile
+      - run: yarn tsc
+      - run: yarn build
+      - name: verify app and plugin creation
+        working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}
+        run: node ${{ github.workspace }}/packages/cli/e2e-test/cli-e2e-test.js
+        env:
+          BACKSTAGE_E2E_CLI_TEST: true
+      - name: lint newly created app and plugin
+        run: yarn lint:all
+        working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}/test-app
+        env:
+          BACKSTAGE_E2E_CLI_TEST: true
+      - name: test newly created app and plugin
+        run: yarn test:all
+        working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}/test-app
+        env:
+          BACKSTAGE_E2E_CLI_TEST: true
+      - name: e2e test newly created app
+        run: yarn test:e2e:ci
+        working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}/test-app/packages/app
+        env:
+          PORT: 3001
+          BACKSTAGE_E2E_CLI_TEST: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli.yml b/.github/workflows/cli.yml
index 24ff2a734c..62f91e3259 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cli.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ on:
       - '.github/workflows/cli.yml'
       - 'packages/cli/**'
       - 'packages/core/**'
+      - 'packages/core-api/**'
       - 'yarn.lock'
 
 jobs:
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
 
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
+        os: [ubuntu-latest]
         node-version: [12.x]
 
     env:
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
         id: yarn-cache
         run: echo "::set-output name=dir::$(yarn cache dir)"
       - name: cache global yarn cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v1
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
           path: ${{ steps.yarn-cache.outputs.dir }}
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-yarn-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
@@ -42,15 +43,8 @@ jobs:
         run: yarn install --frozen-lockfile
       - run: yarn tsc
       - run: yarn build
-      - name: verify app and plugin creation on Windows
+      - name: verify app and plugin creation
         working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}
-        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
-        run: node ${{ github.workspace }}/packages/cli/e2e-test/cli-e2e-test.js
-        env:
-          BACKSTAGE_E2E_CLI_TEST: true
-      - name: verify app and plugin creation on Linux
-        working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}
-        if: runner.os == 'Linux'
         run: |
           sudo sysctl fs.inotify.max_user_watches=524288
           node ${{ github.workspace }}/packages/cli/e2e-test/cli-e2e-test.js
diff --git a/.github/workflows/frontend.yml b/.github/workflows/frontend.yml
index 55a594d55e..c3fa6e4e23 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/frontend.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/frontend.yml
@@ -25,19 +25,19 @@ jobs:
         id: yarn-cache
         run: echo "::set-output name=dir::$(yarn cache dir)"
       - name: cache global yarn cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v1
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
           path: ${{ steps.yarn-cache.outputs.dir }}
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-yarn-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ runner.os }}-yarn-
       - name: cache node_modules
-        uses: actions/cache@v1
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
           path: node_modules
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-modules-${{ hashFiles('yarn.lock') }}
       - name: cache build cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v1
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
           path: .backstage-build-cache
           key: build-cache-${{ github.sha }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/master.yml b/.github/workflows/master.yml
index 14619305cd..52f2760469 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/master.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/master.yml
@@ -24,19 +24,19 @@ jobs:
         id: yarn-cache
         run: echo "::set-output name=dir::$(yarn cache dir)"
       - name: cache global yarn cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v1
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
           path: ${{ steps.yarn-cache.outputs.dir }}
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-yarn-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ runner.os }}-yarn-
       - name: cache node_modules
-        uses: actions/cache@v1
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
           path: node_modules
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-modules-${{ hashFiles('yarn.lock') }}
       - name: cache build cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v1
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
           path: .backstage-build-cache
           key: build-cache-${{ github.sha }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/storybook-deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/storybook-deploy.yml
index d6eef29744..33ffba5ccd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/storybook-deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/storybook-deploy.yml
@@ -27,14 +27,14 @@ jobs:
         id: yarn-cache
         run: echo "::set-output name=dir::$(yarn cache dir)"
       - name: cache global yarn cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v1
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
           path: ${{ steps.yarn-cache.outputs.dir }}
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-yarn-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ runner.os }}-yarn-
       - name: cache node_modules
-        uses: actions/cache@v1
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
           path: node_modules
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-modules-${{ hashFiles('yarn.lock') }}
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/sample-templates/react-ssr-template/{{cookiecutter.componentId}}/.github/workflows/build.yml b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/sample-templates/react-ssr-template/{{cookiecutter.componentId}}/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 9087876ce2..d1563ba3e6 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/sample-templates/react-ssr-template/{{cookiecutter.componentId}}/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/sample-templates/react-ssr-template/{{cookiecutter.componentId}}/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: get yarn cache
       id: yarn-cache
       run: echo "::set-output name=dir::$(yarn cache dir)"
-    - uses: actions/cache@v1
+    - uses: actions/cache@v2
       with:
         path: ${{ steps.yarn-cache.outputs.dir }}
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-yarn-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}