--- a/taskcluster/taskgraph/transforms/tests.py
+++ b/taskcluster/taskgraph/transforms/tests.py
@@ -766,33 +766,38 @@ def make_job_description(config, tests):
         jobdesc['when'] = test.get('when', {})
         jobdesc['attributes'] = attributes
         jobdesc['dependencies'] = {'build': build_label}
         jobdesc['expires-after'] = test['expires-after']
         jobdesc['routes'] = []
         jobdesc['run-on-projects'] = test['run-on-projects']
         jobdesc['scopes'] = []
         jobdesc['tags'] = test.get('tags', {})
-        jobdesc['optimizations'] = [['seta']]  # always run SETA for tests
         jobdesc['extra'] = {
             'chunks': {
                 'current': test['this-chunk'],
                 'total': test['chunks'],
             },
             'suite': {
                 'name': suite,
                 'flavor': flavor,
             },
         }
         jobdesc['treeherder'] = {
             'symbol': test['treeherder-symbol'],
             'kind': 'test',
             'tier': test['tier'],
             'platform': test.get('treeherder-machine-platform', test['build-platform']),
         }
+
+        # run SETA unless this is a try push
+        jobdesc['optimizations'] = optimizations = []
+        if config.params['project'] != 'try':
+            optimizations.append(['seta'])
+
         run = jobdesc['run'] = {}
         run['using'] = 'mozharness-test'
         run['test'] = test
         worker = jobdesc['worker'] = {}
         implementation = worker['implementation'] = test['worker-implementation']
 
         if implementation == 'buildbot-bridge':
             jobdesc['worker-type'] = 'buildbot-bridge/buildbot-bridge'