diff --git a/.github/workflows/aes.yml b/.github/workflows/aes.yml
index a65c7c0e..c6951937 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/aes.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/aes.yml
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ jobs:
         include:
           - target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
             rust: stable
-            RUSTFLAGS: '-Dwarnings --cfg aes_backend="avx256"'
     env:
       CARGO_INCREMENTAL: 0
       RUSTFLAGS: ${{ matrix.RUSTFLAGS }}
@@ -122,14 +121,14 @@ jobs:
           toolchain: ${{ matrix.rust }}
           targets: ${{ matrix.target }}
       # NOTE: Write a `.cargo/config.toml` to configure the target for VAES
-      # NOTE: We use intel-sde as the runner since not all GitHub CI hosts support AVX512
+      # NOTE: We use intel-sde (emulating Alder Lake) as the runner since not all GitHub CI hosts support AVX256
       - name: write .cargo/config.toml
         shell: bash
         run: |
           cd ../aes/..
           mkdir -p .cargo
           echo '[target.${{ matrix.target }}]'  > .cargo/config.toml
-          echo 'runner = "sde64 -future --"'   >> .cargo/config.toml
+          echo 'runner = "sde64 -adl --"'   >> .cargo/config.toml
       - run: ${{ matrix.deps }}
       - run: cargo test --target ${{ matrix.target }}
       - run: cargo test --target ${{ matrix.target }} --features hazmat
@@ -143,7 +142,6 @@ jobs:
         include:
           - target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
             rust: stable
-            RUSTFLAGS: '-Dwarnings --cfg aes_backend="avx512"'
     env:
       CARGO_INCREMENTAL: 0
       RUSTFLAGS: ${{ matrix.RUSTFLAGS }}
@@ -156,14 +154,14 @@ jobs:
           toolchain: ${{ matrix.rust }}
           targets: ${{ matrix.target }}
       # NOTE: Write a `.cargo/config.toml` to configure the target for VAES
-      # NOTE: We use intel-sde as the runner since not all GitHub CI hosts support AVX512
+      # NOTE: We use intel-sde (emulating Granite Rapids) as the runner since not all GitHub CI hosts support AVX512
       - name: write .cargo/config.toml
         shell: bash
         run: |
           cd ../aes/..
           mkdir -p .cargo
           echo '[target.${{ matrix.target }}]'  > .cargo/config.toml
-          echo 'runner = "sde64 -future --"'   >> .cargo/config.toml
+          echo 'runner = "sde64 -gnr --"'   >> .cargo/config.toml
       - run: ${{ matrix.deps }}
       - run: cargo test --target ${{ matrix.target }}
       - run: cargo test --target ${{ matrix.target }} --features hazmat
diff --git a/aes/src/lib.rs b/aes/src/lib.rs
index fc995922..5b52c98f 100644
--- a/aes/src/lib.rs
+++ b/aes/src/lib.rs
@@ -45,9 +45,6 @@
 //! used or passing `RUSTFLAGS=-Ctarget-feature=+aes,+avx512f,+ssse3,+vaes`
 //! will ensure that AESNI and VAES are always used.
 //!
-//! Note: Enabling VAES256 or VAES512 still requires specifying `--cfg
-//! aes_backend = "avx256"` or `--cfg aes_backend = "avx512"` explicitly.
-//!
 //! Programs built in this manner will crash with an illegal instruction on
 //! CPUs which do not have AES-NI and VAES enabled.
 //!
@@ -104,8 +101,6 @@
 //!
 //! - `aes_backend`: explicitly select one of the following backends:
 //!   - `soft`: force software backend
-//!   - `avx256`: force AVX2 backend
-//!   - `avx512`: force AVX-512 backend
 //! - `aes_backend_soft`: modify software backend:
 //!   - `compact`: use compact implementation (less performant, but results in a smaller binary)
 //!