diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index b4817feb40d7..8eb4ae995645 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -138,8 +138,6 @@ jobs:
             package-lock.json
             test/package-lock.json
 
-      - run: SKIP_SUBMODULE_DEPS=1 npm ci
-
       - name: Install cross-compiler and system dependencies
         run: |
           dpkg --add-architecture $TARGET_ARCH
@@ -154,6 +152,8 @@ jobs:
             curl wget rsync gettext-base \
             python3
 
+      - run: SKIP_SUBMODULE_DEPS=1 npm ci
+
       - name: Install nfpm
         run: |
           mkdir -p ~/.local/bin