diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 65e0bff12..1109b5a96 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -32,6 +32,40 @@ jobs:
           name: mage_bin
           path: ./mage-static
 
+  build-mage:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    name: prepare-build-mage
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@8e8c483db84b4bee98b60c0593521ed34d9990e8 # v6
+      - name: Set up Go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@7a3fe6cf4cb3a834922a1244abfce67bcef6a0c5 # v6
+        with:
+          go-version: stable
+      - name: Cache build mage
+        id: cache-build-mage
+        uses: actions/cache@8b402f58fbc84540c8b491a91e594a4576fec3d7 # v5
+        with:
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-build-mage-build-${{ hashFiles('build/magefile.go') }}
+          path: |
+            ./build/build-mage-static
+      # Statically compile build/magefile.go so publish-repos can run repo
+      # metadata targets inside ubuntu/fedora/archlinux containers without
+      # needing a Go toolchain available there.
+      - name: Install mage
+        if: ${{ steps.cache-build-mage.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' }}
+        run: go install github.com/magefile/mage@v1.17.2
+      - name: Compile build mage
+        if: ${{ steps.cache-build-mage.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' }}
+        working-directory: build
+        run: |
+          export PATH=$PATH:$GOPATH/bin
+          mage -compile ./build-mage-static
+      - name: Store build mage binary
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@b7c566a772e6b6bfb58ed0dc250532a479d7789f # v6
+        with:
+          name: build_mage_bin
+          path: ./build/build-mage-static
+
   api-build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: mage