diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
index e77f728..cfd8bf4 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -18,10 +18,14 @@ jobs:
     env:
       DOCKER_HOST: tcp://localhost:2375
     steps:
+      # Manual git checkout instead of actions/checkout@v4: the job image
+      # (docker:27-cli, from the k8s-arm64 runner label) has no Node.js, so JS
+      # actions fail with "exec: node: not found". Plain git needs only what the
+      # image already has (git + docker) and avoids pulling a heavy act image.
       - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
+        run: |
+          git clone -q -b "${GITHUB_REF_NAME:-main}" \
+            "http://ci:${{ secrets.FORGEJO_TOKEN }}@forgejo.forgejo.svc/${{ github.repository }}.git" .
 
       - name: Short SHA
         id: sha