diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 5905850e62..468117f5a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -122,7 +122,10 @@ jobs:
           dotnet-version: "8.0.x"
 
       - name: Restore .NET workloads
-        run: dotnet workload install android
+        # since windows image 20241113.3.0, not specifying a version here
+        # installs the .NET 7 version of android workload for very unknown reasons.
+        # revisit once we upgrade to .NET 9, it's probably fixed there.
+        run: dotnet workload install android --version (dotnet --version)
 
       - name: Compile
         run: dotnet build -c Debug osu-framework.Android.slnf
diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-pack.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy-pack.yml
index 88bc62e7ac..d6055760d9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-pack.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-pack.yml
@@ -131,7 +131,10 @@ jobs:
           java-version: 11
 
       - name: Restore .NET workloads
-        run: dotnet workload install android
+        # since windows image 20241113.3.0, not specifying a version here
+        # installs the .NET 7 version of android workload for very unknown reasons.
+        # revisit once we upgrade to .NET 9, it's probably fixed there.
+        run: dotnet workload install android --version (dotnet --version)
 
       - name: Pack (Android Framework)
         run: dotnet pack -c Release osu.Framework.Android /p:Version=${{ github.ref_name }} /p:GenerateDocumentationFile=true  -o ${{steps.artifactsPath.outputs.nuget_artifacts}}