diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 268d3471c3ca..76739216c785 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -50,7 +50,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build grpc
         if: steps.cache-grpc.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         run: |
-
+          echo "include(FetchContent)" >> $GRPC_DIR/CMakeLists.txt
+          echo "FetchContent_Declare(" >> $GRPC_DIR/CMakeLists.txt
+          echo "  googletest" >> $GRPC_DIR/CMakeLists.txt
+          echo "  URL https://github.com/google/googletest/archive/03597a01ee50ed33e9dfd640b249b4be3799d395.zip" >> $GRPC_DIR/CMakeLists.txt
+          echo ")" >> $GRPC_DIR/CMakeLists.txt
+          echo "FetchContent_MakeAvailable(googletest)" >> $GRPC_DIR/CMakeLists.txt
           git clone --recurse-submodules -b ${{ env.GRPC_VERSION }} --depth 1 --shallow-submodules https://github.com/grpc/grpc && \
           cd grpc && mkdir -p cmake/build && cd cmake/build && cmake -DgRPC_INSTALL=ON \
             -DgRPC_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DABSL_BUILD_TESTING=OFF \
@@ -78,6 +83,15 @@ jobs:
             echo "set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PACKAGE ONLY)" >> $CMAKE_CROSS_TOOLCHAIN
           GRPC_DIR=$PWD/grpc
 
+          # http://google.github.io/googletest/quickstart-cmake.html
+          # Seems otherwise cross-arch fails to find it
+          echo "include(FetchContent)" >> $GRPC_DIR/third_party/abseil-cpp/absl/container/CMakeLists.txt
+          echo "FetchContent_Declare(" >> $GRPC_DIR/third_party/abseil-cpp/absl/container/CMakeLists.txt
+          echo "  googletest" >> $GRPC_DIR/third_party/abseil-cpp/absl/container/CMakeLists.txt
+          echo "  URL https://github.com/google/googletest/archive/03597a01ee50ed33e9dfd640b249b4be3799d395.zip" >> $GRPC_DIR/third_party/abseil-cpp/absl/container/CMakeLists.txt
+          echo ")" >> $GRPC_DIR/third_party/abseil-cpp/absl/container/CMakeLists.txt
+          echo "FetchContent_MakeAvailable(googletest)" >> $GRPC_DIR/third_party/abseil-cpp/absl/container/CMakeLists.txt
+
           cd grpc && cd cmake/build && sudo make --jobs 5 --output-sync=target install && \
           GRPC_CROSS_BUILD_DIR=$GRPC_DIR/cmake/cross_build && \
           mkdir -p $GRPC_CROSS_BUILD_DIR && \