diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index f76e147a9..7a9a9fc56 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           sudo apt install -yq jq libreadline-dev
           ${{ matrix.command }} sudo apt install -yq $COMPILER
-          pip3 install meson ninja
+          pip3 install --prefer-binary meson ninja
       - name: Build GNU/Linux ${{ matrix.command }}
         run: |
           make linux-exe ${{ matrix.command }}
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ jobs:
           python-version: '3.13'
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
-          pip3 install meson ninja
+          pip3 install --prefer-binary meson ninja
       - uses: hendrikmuhs/ccache-action@v1.2
       - run: |
           make osx-exe CCACHE=1
@@ -168,9 +168,9 @@ jobs:
           commands: |
             sudo apt-get update -yq
             sudo apt-get install -yq --no-install-recommends make cmake gcc jq libreadline-dev xxd git python3-venv
+            make linux-exe
             python3 -m venv .venv
             . .venv/bin/activate && pip install --prefer-binary meson ninja
-            make linux-exe
             make check
 
   go-build-check:
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ jobs:
           python-version: '3.13'
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
-          pip3 install meson ninja
+          pip3 install --prefer-binary meson ninja
           sudo apt-get install -qy libreadline-dev
       - run: |
           make linux-exe CCACHE=1
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ jobs:
           python-version: '3.13'
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
-          pip3 install meson ninja
+          pip3 install --prefer-binary meson ninja
           sudo apt-get install -qy libreadline-dev
       - run: |
           make linux-exe CCACHE=1
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ jobs:
           version: ${{ env.EM_VERSION }}
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
-          pip3 install meson ninja
+          pip3 install --prefer-binary meson ninja
       - name: Build Zenroom Wasm
         run: |
           make node-wasm CCACHE=1
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ jobs:
         ref: master
         fetch-depth: 0
     - run: |
-        pip install ninja twine
+        pip install --prefer-binary ninja twine
         ./prepare.sh
     - run: pipx run build --sdist
     - run: twine check dist/*.tar.gz