diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/r-test.yml b/.gitea/workflows/r-test.yml
index ddbeccb..91bbb20 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/r-test.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/r-test.yml
@@ -1,24 +1,77 @@
-name: R tests
+name: R test
 on: [push, pull_request]
 
 jobs:
-  test:
+  r-tests:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      # Detect an R package (DESCRIPTION with Package:) or a tests tree
+      - name: Detect R tests
+        id: detect
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          # Look for an R package
+          PKG_DIR=$(git ls-files '**/DESCRIPTION' | while read -r f; do
+            if grep -q '^Package:' "$f"; then dirname "$f"; break; fi
+          done || true)
+
+          if [ -n "${PKG_DIR:-}" ]; then
+            echo "found=true"       >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "kind=package"     >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "dir=$PKG_DIR"     >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "Detected R package at $PKG_DIR"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          # Otherwise, look for a tests/testthat directory
+          CANDIDATE=$(find . -type d -path '*/tests/testthat' | head -n1 || true)
+          if [ -n "${CANDIDATE:-}" ]; then
+            # project dir = parent of 'tests'
+            PROJ_DIR="$(dirname "$(dirname "$CANDIDATE")")"
+            echo "found=true"       >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "kind=tests"       >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "dir=$PROJ_DIR"    >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "Detected testthat directory at $CANDIDATE (project: $PROJ_DIR)"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          echo "found=false"        >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "No R package or tests/testthat found; skipping."
+
       - name: Set up R
+        if: steps.detect.outputs.found == 'true'
         uses: r-lib/actions/setup-r@v2
         with:
           use-public-rspm: true  # fast Linux binaries
 
       - name: Install dependencies
+        if: steps.detect.outputs.found == 'true'
         uses: r-lib/actions/setup-r-dependencies@v2
         with:
-          extra-packages: any::testthat   # or list others you need
+          extra-packages: any::testthat
           cache-version: 1
 
-      - name: Run tests
+      - name: Run tests (R package)
+        if: steps.detect.outputs.found == 'true' && steps.detect.outputs.kind == 'package'
+        working-directory: ${{ steps.detect.outputs.dir }}
         shell: Rscript {0}
         run: |
-          testthat::test_local()
\ No newline at end of file
+          testthat::test_local()
+
+      - name: Run tests (non-package testthat dir)
+        if: steps.detect.outputs.found == 'true' && steps.detect.outputs.kind == 'tests'
+        working-directory: ${{ steps.detect.outputs.dir }}
+        shell: Rscript {0}
+        run: |
+          # Optionally source code from an R/ folder if you have one:
+          if (dir.exists("R")) {
+            testthat::source_dir("R", recurse = TRUE)
+          }
+          testthat::test_dir("tests/testthat")
+
+      - name: Skip (no R tests found)
+        if: steps.detect.outputs.found != 'true'
+        run: echo "No R package or tests/testthat directory found; skipping R tests."