diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index bbf1033bdd..e9e4277322 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -10,12 +10,19 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+  check-sampleconfig:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+      - run: pip install -e .
+      - run: scripts-dev/generate_sample_config --check
+
   lint:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
         toxenv:
-          - "check-sampleconfig"
           - "check_codestyle"
           - "check_isort"
           - "mypy"
@@ -43,7 +50,7 @@ jobs:
           ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
           fetch-depth: 0
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v2
-      - run: pip install tox
+      - run: "pip install 'towncrier>=18.6.0rc1'"
       - run: scripts-dev/check-newsfragment
         env:
           PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER: ${{ github.event.number }}
@@ -51,7 +58,7 @@ jobs:
   # Dummy step to gate other tests on without repeating the whole list
   linting-done:
     if: ${{ !cancelled() }} # Run this even if prior jobs were skipped
-    needs: [lint, lint-crlf, lint-newsfile]
+    needs: [lint, lint-crlf, lint-newsfile, check-sampleconfig]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - run: "true"
diff --git a/changelog.d/12119.misc b/changelog.d/12119.misc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f02d140f38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/12119.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Move CI checks out of tox, to facilitate a move to using poetry.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts-dev/check-newsfragment b/scripts-dev/check-newsfragment
index c764011d6a..493558ad65 100755
--- a/scripts-dev/check-newsfragment
+++ b/scripts-dev/check-newsfragment
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ CONTRIBUTING_GUIDE_TEXT="!! Please see the contributing guide for help writing y
 https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/blob/develop/CONTRIBUTING.md#changelog"
 
 # If check-newsfragment returns a non-zero exit code, print the contributing guide and exit
-tox -qe check-newsfragment || (echo -e "$CONTRIBUTING_GUIDE_TEXT" >&2 && exit 1)
+python -m towncrier.check --compare-with=origin/develop || (echo -e "$CONTRIBUTING_GUIDE_TEXT" >&2 && exit 1)
 
 echo
 echo "--------------------------"
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 436ecf7552..04b972e2c5 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -168,16 +168,6 @@ commands =
 extras = lint
 commands = isort -c --df {[base]lint_targets}
 
-[testenv:check-newsfragment]
-skip_install = true
-usedevelop = false
-deps = towncrier>=18.6.0rc1
-commands =
-   python -m towncrier.check --compare-with=origin/develop
-
-[testenv:check-sampleconfig]
-commands = {toxinidir}/scripts-dev/generate_sample_config --check
-
 [testenv:combine]
 skip_install = true
 usedevelop = false