diff --git a/.github/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml b/.github/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml
index 8187eb0b3d..0137903de6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml
@@ -24,18 +24,7 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         config:
-          - {os: macos-latest,   r: 'release'}
-
-          - {os: windows-latest, r: 'release'}
-          # 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'}
-          - {os: ubuntu-latest,  r: 'oldrel-1'}
-          - {os: ubuntu-latest,  r: 'oldrel-2'}
-          - {os: ubuntu-latest,  r: 'oldrel-3'}
-          - {os: ubuntu-latest,  r: 'oldrel-4'}
+          - {os: macos-latest,   r: 'oldrel-3'}
 
     env:
       GITHUB_PAT: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
@@ -85,3 +74,18 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload-snapshots: true
           build_args: 'c("--no-manual","--compact-vignettes=gs+qpdf")'
+
+
+      # > If the workflow run is a re-run, with debugging enabled, then it opens a tmate shell that you can ssh into for interactive debugging.
+      # > It uses https://github.com/mxschmitt/action-tmate internally.
+      # Usage:
+      # * Add your SSH key to your GitHub account. This action does not work without an SSH key.
+      # * If a workflow run fails, on the web UI select a re-run and turn on debug logging.
+      # * Wait until the workflow output tells you that the tmate shell is ready, and copy paste the random hostname.
+      # * Use ssh to log in to the VM.
+      - name: Debug GHA job (tmate)
+        uses: r-hub/actions/debug-shell@v1
+        # Use `always()` as the action will skip its steps internally if debugging is not enabled and the workflow is not a re-run.
+        if: always()
+        with:
+          connect-timeout-seconds: "600"
diff --git a/R/theme-elements.R b/R/theme-elements.R
index 3f69eacfb3..77769fd448 100644
--- a/R/theme-elements.R
+++ b/R/theme-elements.R
@@ -353,14 +353,17 @@ element_geom <- S7::new_class(
   }
 )
 
-.default_geom_element <- element_geom(
-  ink = "black", paper = "white", accent = "#3366FF",
-  linewidth = 0.5, borderwidth = 0.5,
-  linetype = 1L, bordertype = 1L,
-  family = "", fontsize = 11,
-  pointsize = 1.5, pointshape = 19,
-  fill = NULL, colour = NULL
-)
+.default_geom_element <- NULL
+on_load({
+  .default_geom_element <- element_geom(
+    ink = "black", paper = "white", accent = "#3366FF",
+    linewidth = 0.5, borderwidth = 0.5,
+    linetype = 1L, bordertype = 1L,
+    family = "", fontsize = 11,
+    pointsize = 1.5, pointshape = 19,
+    fill = NULL, colour = NULL
+  )
+})
 
 local({
   S7::method(print, element) <- function(x, ...) {