diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 204bf56..8c754cc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ jobs:
           go-version-file: go.mod
       - name: gofmt
         run: make fmt-check
-      - name: vet
-        run: go vet ./...
+      - name: vet (including the e2e and live test files, which are not run here)
+        run: make vet
       - name: test
         run: go test -race -count=1 -coverprofile=coverage.out ./...
       - name: cross-build linux amd64/arm64
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d34a748..2cd6bd4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -26,8 +26,12 @@ build-linux:
 fmt-check:
 	@out=$$(gofmt -l cmd internal pkg api); if [ -n "$$out" ]; then echo "gofmt needed:"; echo "$$out"; exit 1; fi
 
+# The second pass compiles and vets the tests that need a real stack or a live
+# backend (test/e2e, the adapters' live tests). Nothing runs them here, so
+# without it they can stop compiling unnoticed.
 vet:
 	go vet ./...
+	go vet -tags "e2e live" ./...
 
 test:
 	go test -race -count=1 ./...
@@ -36,7 +40,7 @@ test:
 # their fake-server tests: build, vet and test everything with the tag.
 experimental:
 	go build -tags $(EXPERIMENTAL_TAG) ./...
-	go vet -tags $(EXPERIMENTAL_TAG) ./...
+	go vet -tags "$(EXPERIMENTAL_TAG) e2e live" ./...
 	go test -race -count=1 -tags $(EXPERIMENTAL_TAG) ./...
 
 # Runs the store conformance suite against a disposable Postgres container.