diff --git a/.github/actions/reqstool-status/action.yml b/.github/actions/reqstool-status/action.yml
index c88e75b..9a2ce0d 100644
--- a/.github/actions/reqstool-status/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/reqstool-status/action.yml
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 name: "reqstool status"
-description: "Install reqstool (from PyPI or reqstool-client@main) and run reqstool status against a reqstool data path. By default just reports status; set fail-if-incomplete to gate CI on every requirement being complete. Must run after the repo's own build step, in the same job, since it depends on build-time artifacts (e.g. annotations.yml, test results)."
+description: "Run reqstool status against a reqstool data path. By default just reports status; set fail-if-incomplete to gate CI on every requirement being complete. Requires reqstool to already be installed (see the install-reqstool action) and must run after the repo's own build step, in the same job, since it depends on build-time artifacts (e.g. annotations.yml, test results)."
 
 inputs:
-  reqstool-source:
-    description: "Where to install reqstool from: 'pypi' (latest release) or 'main' (reqstool-client@main)."
-    required: false
-    default: "pypi"
   reqstool-path:
     description: "Path to the reqstool data directory (containing requirements.yml etc.), relative to repo root."
     required: false
@@ -14,20 +10,10 @@ inputs:
     description: "Fail the step unless all requirements are implemented (passes --check-all-reqs-met). Leave false for repos that intentionally have incomplete requirements (e.g. demo/fixture repos)."
     required: false
     default: "false"
-  python-version:
-    description: "Python version to use."
-    required: false
-    default: "3.13"
 
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
-    - name: Install reqstool
-      uses: ./.github/actions/install-reqstool
-      with:
-        reqstool-source: ${{ inputs.reqstool-source }}
-        python-version: ${{ inputs.python-version }}
-
     - name: Run reqstool status
       shell: bash
       env:
diff --git a/.github/actions/validate-reqstool/action.yml b/.github/actions/validate-reqstool/action.yml
index 216555d..42f3b97 100644
--- a/.github/actions/validate-reqstool/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/validate-reqstool/action.yml
@@ -1,29 +1,15 @@
 name: "Validate reqstool"
-description: "Install reqstool (from PyPI or reqstool-client@main) and run reqstool validate --strict (spec completeness: every requirement has SVCs, manual SVCs have MVRs) against a reqstool data path. Must run after the repo's own build step, in the same job, since it depends on build-time artifacts (e.g. annotations.yml, test results). The 'validate' subcommand isn't on PyPI yet — until it ships in a release, only invoke this action for a 'main' leg."
+description: "Run reqstool validate --strict (spec completeness: every requirement has SVCs, manual SVCs have MVRs) against a reqstool data path. Requires reqstool to already be installed (see the install-reqstool action) and must run after the repo's own build step, in the same job, since it depends on build-time artifacts (e.g. annotations.yml, test results). The 'validate' subcommand isn't on PyPI yet — until it ships in a release, only invoke this action where reqstool was installed from reqstool-client@main."
 
 inputs:
-  reqstool-source:
-    description: "Where to install reqstool from: 'pypi' (latest release) or 'main' (reqstool-client@main)."
-    required: false
-    default: "pypi"
   reqstool-path:
     description: "Path to the reqstool data directory (containing requirements.yml etc.), relative to repo root."
     required: false
     default: "docs/reqstool"
-  python-version:
-    description: "Python version to use."
-    required: false
-    default: "3.13"
 
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
-    - name: Install reqstool
-      uses: ./.github/actions/install-reqstool
-      with:
-        reqstool-source: ${{ inputs.reqstool-source }}
-        python-version: ${{ inputs.python-version }}
-
     - name: Run reqstool validate --strict
       shell: bash
       env: