diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-full.yaml b/.github/workflows/check-full.yaml
index 017f983a3..f503abc6e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-full.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-full.yaml
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ jobs:
           - {os: macos-latest,   r: 'release'}
 
           - {os: windows-latest, r: 'release'}
-          # use 4.1 to check with rtools40's older compiler
-          - {os: windows-latest, r: '4.1'}
+          # use 4.0 or 4.1 to check with rtools40's older compiler
+          - {os: windows-latest, r: 'oldrel-4'}
 
           - {os: ubuntu-latest,  r: 'devel', http-user-agent: 'release'}
           - {os: ubuntu-latest,  r: 'release'}
diff --git a/examples/check-full.yaml b/examples/check-full.yaml
index e712a2167..261e66780 100644
--- a/examples/check-full.yaml
+++ b/examples/check-full.yaml
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ jobs:
           - {os: macos-latest,   r: 'release'}
 
           - {os: windows-latest, r: 'release'}
-          # use 4.1 to check with rtools40's older compiler
-          - {os: windows-latest, r: '4.1'}
+          # use 4.0 or 4.1 to check with rtools40's older compiler
+          - {os: windows-latest, r: 'oldrel-4'}
 
           - {os: ubuntu-latest,  r: 'devel', http-user-agent: 'release'}
           - {os: ubuntu-latest,  r: 'release'}