diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml b/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index cc4a4f26b5..0000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-name: check-labels
-on:
-  pull_request:
-    types: [opened, reopened, labeled, unlabeled, synchronize]
-  pull_request_review:
-    types: [submitted, dismissed]
-jobs:
-  check-labels:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-    - uses: RIOT-OS/check-labels-action@v1.0.0
-      with:
-        access_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        unset_labels: 'CI: needs squashing,State: waiting for other PR'
-        cond_labels: '(Process: needs >1 ACK,review.approvals>1),(Area: RDM,review.approvals>2)'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/check-pr.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ba7cc1ddf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-pr.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+name: check-pr
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, reopened, labeled, unlabeled, synchronize]
+  pull_request_review:
+    types: [submitted, dismissed]
+jobs:
+  check-labels:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: RIOT-OS/check-labels-action@v1.0.0
+      with:
+        access_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        unset_labels: 'CI: needs squashing,State: waiting for other PR'
+        cond_labels: '(Process: needs >1 ACK,review.approvals>1),(Area: RDM,review.approvals>2)'
+  check-commits:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: ${{ github.base_ref }}
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        check: [commit-msg, pr_check]
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@master
+      with:
+        # Use the SHA of the PR branch as-is, not the PR branch merged
+        # in master (default behavior in GH actions)
+        # See https://github.com/actions/checkout#checkout-pull-request-head-commit-instead-of-merge-commit
+        ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
+        fetch-depth: 0
+    - name: Fetch base branch
+      run:
+        git fetch origin '${{ github.base_ref }}:${{ github.base_ref }}'
+    - name: Run checks
+      env:    # enforce deactivation of label check in pr_check
+        TRAVIS_PULL_REQUEST:
+        CI_PULL_NR:
+      run: |
+        ./dist/tools/${{ matrix.check }}/check.sh "${{ github.base_ref }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/static-test.yml b/.github/workflows/static-test.yml
index 208bca7e76..5b48f11adc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/static-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/static-test.yml
@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
       with:
-        # Use the SHA of the PR branch as-is, not the PR branch merged
-        # in master (default behavior in GH actions)
-        # See https://github.com/actions/checkout#checkout-pull-request-head-commit-instead-of-merge-commit
-        ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
         fetch-depth: 0
     - name: Setup git
       run: |
diff --git a/dist/tools/ci/static_tests.sh b/dist/tools/ci/static_tests.sh
index b9f701a9ea..862ee1f3b1 100755
--- a/dist/tools/ci/static_tests.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/ci/static_tests.sh
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ fi
 
 export BASE_BRANCH="${CI_BASE_BRANCH}"
 
-run ./dist/tools/commit-msg/check.sh "${BASE_BRANCH}"
 run ./dist/tools/whitespacecheck/check.sh "${BASE_BRANCH}"
 DIFFFILTER="MR" ERROR_EXIT_CODE=0 run ./dist/tools/licenses/check.sh
 DIFFFILTER="AC" run ./dist/tools/licenses/check.sh
@@ -111,7 +110,6 @@ run ./dist/tools/doccheck/check.sh
 run ./dist/tools/externc/check.sh
 run ./dist/tools/cppcheck/check.sh
 run ./dist/tools/vera++/check.sh
-run ./dist/tools/pr_check/pr_check.sh "${BASE_BRANCH}"
 run ./dist/tools/coccinelle/check.sh
 run ./dist/tools/flake8/check.sh
 run ./dist/tools/headerguards/check.sh
diff --git a/dist/tools/pr_check/README.md b/dist/tools/pr_check/README.md
index 2215399652..149ad0d660 100644
--- a/dist/tools/pr_check/README.md
+++ b/dist/tools/pr_check/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ another Pull Request.
 # Usage
 
 ```bash
-./pr_check.sh [<master branch>]
+./check.sh [<master branch>]
 ```
 
 The optional `<master branch>` parameter refers to the branch the pull request's
diff --git a/dist/tools/pr_check/pr_check.sh b/dist/tools/pr_check/check.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from dist/tools/pr_check/pr_check.sh
rename to dist/tools/pr_check/check.sh
diff --git a/dist/tools/pr_check/check_labels.sh b/dist/tools/pr_check/check_labels.sh
index aa7ee7a1a9..6034a6ef65 100644
--- a/dist/tools/pr_check/check_labels.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/pr_check/check_labels.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #
 
 # The following script part has been moved here from:
-# ./dist/tools/pr_check/pr_check.sh
+# ./dist/tools/pr_check/check.sh
 
 GITHUB_API_HOST="https://api.github.com"
 GITHUB_REPO="RIOT-OS/RIOT"
diff --git a/dist/tools/whitespacecheck/check.sh b/dist/tools/whitespacecheck/check.sh
index 37f9938518..6d8e9a6425 100755
--- a/dist/tools/whitespacecheck/check.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/whitespacecheck/check.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/bin/bash
 
 # Copyright 2015 Oliver Hahm <oliver.hahm@inria.fr>
 #
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ fi
 git -c core.whitespace="tab-in-indent,tabwidth=4" \
     diff --check "$(git merge-base "${BRANCH}" HEAD)" -- *.[ch] ${IGNORE} \
             | ${LOG}
-RESULT=$?
+RESULT=${PIPESTATUS[0]}
 
 # Git regards any trailing white space except `\n` as an error so `\r` is
 # checked here, too
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ git -c core.whitespace="trailing-space" \
     diff --check "$(git merge-base "${BRANCH}" HEAD)" -- . ${IGNORE} \
             | ${LOG}
 
-TRAILING_RESULT=$?
+TRAILING_RESULT=${PIPESTATUS[0]}
 
 github_annotate_parse_log_default