diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 67432f8e83..e2e9b74f91 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -12,25 +12,23 @@ on:
       - master
       - main
       - 'cyrus-imapd-*'
+
+env:
+  CYRUS_CLONE_ROOT: ${{ github.workspace }}
+
 jobs:
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     container:
-        image: ghcr.io/cyrusimap/cyrus-docker:bookworm
+        image: ghcr.io/cyrusimap/cyrus-docker:alt-dir
         options: --init
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
         fetch-depth: 0
-    - name: install missing or frequently-updated deps
-      shell: bash
-      run: |
-        cpanm Mail::IMAPTalk # in image, but fetch latest!
-    - name: setup git safe directory
-      shell: bash
-      run: git config --global --add safe.directory /__w/cyrus-imapd/cyrus-imapd
+        set-safe-directory: true
     - name: fetch upstream release tags
-      if: ${{ github.repository != 'cyrusimap/cyrus-imapd' }}
+      # if: ${{ github.repository != 'cyrusimap/cyrus-imapd' }}
       shell: bash
       run: |
         git remote add upstream https://github.com/cyrusimap/cyrus-imapd.git
@@ -42,7 +40,7 @@ jobs:
       shell: bash
       run: |
         echo "building cyrus version" $(./tools/git-version.sh)
-        ./tools/build-with-cyruslibs.sh
+        cyd build
     - name: report version information
       shell: bash
       run: |