diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/check-pr.yml
index 9d2dc40ad1..69de0440a0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-pr.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   check_pr:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: public
     strategy:
       matrix:
         node-version: [24.x]
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ jobs:
           node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
           cache: 'yarn'
           cache-dependency-path: 'yarn.lock'
-      - name: Install Linux build tools
-        run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y build-essential
       - name: Install && Build - SDK and Sample App
         uses: ./.github/actions/install-and-build-sdk
       - name: Lint
diff --git a/.github/workflows/sample-distribution.yml b/.github/workflows/sample-distribution.yml
index 1a54f63dac..86a9911f37 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sample-distribution.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sample-distribution.yml
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ jobs:
 
   build_and_deploy_android_firebase:
     name: Build SampleApp Android and Deploy-${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/develop' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: public
     strategy:
       matrix:
         node-version: [24.x]
@@ -73,8 +73,6 @@ jobs:
           node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
           cache: 'yarn'
           cache-dependency-path: 'yarn.lock'
-      - name: Install Linux build tools
-        run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y build-essential
       - uses: actions/setup-java@v5
         with:
           distribution: 'zulu'
diff --git a/package/jest.config.js b/package/jest.config.js
index 4a01b0d17a..2adb1e9ce8 100644
--- a/package/jest.config.js
+++ b/package/jest.config.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 module.exports = {
   globalSetup: './jest-global-setup.js',
+  // cap worker count on CI
+  ...(process.env.CI ? { maxWorkers: 2 } : {}),
   moduleNameMapper: {
     'mock-builders(.*)$': '<rootDir>/src/mock-builders$1',
   },