diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-test.yml b/.github/workflows/build-test.yml
index ab013b15f..ecd09ff51 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-test.yml
@@ -588,6 +588,8 @@ jobs:
         make -j8
         make install_sw
         cd ..
+        # install ffi.h, which is required for python build
+        apt install libffi-dev
         # build and install python
         curl -sSk https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.11.5/Python-3.11.5.tar.xz | tar -xJ
         cd Python-3.11.5
diff --git a/.github/workflows/src/build-test.yml b/.github/workflows/src/build-test.yml
index 277156705..b5151d386 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/src/build-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/src/build-test.yml
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ jobs:
         make -j8
         make install_sw
         cd ..
+        # install ffi.h, which is required for python build
+        apt install libffi-dev
         # build and install python
         curl -sSk https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.11.5/Python-3.11.5.tar.xz | tar -xJ
         cd Python-3.11.5