diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index b447ef2e..fae01644 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
   # named release-please-- and inherits sentinel passes for free.
   guard:
     name: Guard
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     timeout-minutes: 2
     outputs:
       mode: ${{ steps.classify.outputs.mode }}
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ jobs:
   # match local `make quality-check`.
   pre-check:
     name: Pre-check (format + lint)
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     needs: [guard]
     if: ${{ needs.guard.outputs.mode == 'full' }}
     timeout-minutes: 3
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ jobs:
 
   quality-gates:
     name: Quality Gates
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     needs: [guard, pre-check]
     if: ${{ needs.guard.outputs.mode == 'full' }}
     strategy:
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ jobs:
 
   build:
     name: Build Package
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     needs: [guard, quality-gates]
     if: ${{ needs.guard.outputs.mode == 'full' && needs.guard.outputs.should_build == 'true' }}
     timeout-minutes: 5
@@ -311,15 +311,15 @@ jobs:
   # Build and check the optional Nix flake, so the packaged CLI
   # (`nix run github:runpod/flash`) can't silently break -- its runtime
   # dependency list is maintained separately from pyproject.toml. The uv path
-  # above is untouched, and this job only runs on
-  # x86_64-linux (ubuntu-latest). `nix flake check` runs the flake's own gate
+  # above is untouched, and this job only runs on x86_64-linux
+  # (blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404). `nix flake check` runs the flake's own gate
   # (ruff lint + format, nixfmt, shellcheck, the pytest suite) in a sandbox;
   # the build + smoke-test confirm the packaged CLI on the pinned Python 3.14.
   #
   # A failed Nix build blocks validation, protecting the advertised Nix CLI.
   nix:
     name: Nix flake
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     needs: [guard]
     if: ${{ needs.guard.outputs.mode == 'full' }}
     timeout-minutes: 30
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ jobs:
   # job in `needs:` and the results array.
   validation:
     name: Validation
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     needs: [guard, pre-check, quality-gates, build, nix]
     if: always()
     timeout-minutes: 1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
index 199fbd38..fd0d4e10 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
   # rerun a previous run.
   e2e:
     name: E2E
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     timeout-minutes: 45
 
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
index 851e49b8..396dd344 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ jobs:
   # duplicate ~24 min of compute per merge for zero added signal.
   release-please:
     name: Release Please
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404
 
     outputs:
       release_created: ${{ steps.release.outputs.release_created }}
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ jobs:
 
   pypi-publish:
     name: PyPI Publish
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     needs: [release-please]
     if: ${{ needs.release-please.outputs.release_created == 'true' }}
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ jobs:
   linear-sync:
     name: Linear Release Sync
     needs: release-please
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     permissions:
       contents: read
     steps:
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Linear Release Complete
     if: ${{ needs.release-please.outputs.release_created == 'true' }}
     needs: [release-please, linear-sync]
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     permissions:
       contents: read
     steps: