diff --git a/.github/actions/free-runner-disk/action.yml b/.github/actions/free-runner-disk/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..84a8f857
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/free-runner-disk/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+name: Free runner disk
+description: Remove preinstalled toolchains the build never uses from a hosted Linux runner
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    # The hosted Ubuntu image leaves too little free space for a full
+    # instrumented or all-feature workspace build beside the restored caches
+    # and the native oracle. These toolchains are never used by this build.
+    # Self-hosted runners keep their own provisioning.
+    - name: Remove unused hosted toolchains
+      if: runner.os == 'Linux' && runner.environment == 'github-hosted'
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        df -h /
+        sudo rm -rf /usr/share/dotnet /usr/local/lib/android /opt/ghc /opt/hostedtoolcache/CodeQL
+        df -h /
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 2d8377c1..f4575bbe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/free-runner-disk
       - name: Read pinned oracle revisions
         id: coverage-oracles
         run: |
@@ -334,6 +335,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/free-runner-disk
       - name: Read pinned donor revision
         id: test-donor-revision
         run: |
diff --git a/tools/xml-sec-tools/src/workflow_contracts.rs b/tools/xml-sec-tools/src/workflow_contracts.rs
index 97d357c9..fd9e54b6 100644
--- a/tools/xml-sec-tools/src/workflow_contracts.rs
+++ b/tools/xml-sec-tools/src/workflow_contracts.rs
@@ -253,6 +253,27 @@ fn runner_image_identity_is_read_at_runtime_rather_than_an_empty_env_context() {
     }
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn the_heaviest_jobs_free_hosted_runner_disk_before_restoring_any_cache() {
+    // Full-workspace builds beside the caches and the native oracle exhaust the
+    // hosted image's disk; the space must be freed before anything is restored.
+    let action = read(".github/actions/free-runner-disk/action.yml");
+    assert!(action.contains("if: runner.os == 'Linux' && runner.environment == 'github-hosted'"));
+    let workflow = read(".github/workflows/ci.yml");
+    for job in ["coverage", "test-matrix"] {
+        let body = section(&workflow, job);
+        let freed = body
+            .find("uses: ./.github/actions/free-runner-disk")
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("{job} frees no disk"));
+        for cache in ["rust-build-cache", "xmlsec-oracle-cache"] {
+            let restored = body
+                .find(&format!("uses: ./.github/actions/{cache}"))
+                .unwrap();
+            assert!(freed < restored, "{job}: {cache}");
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn coverage_checkout_references_resolve_existing_pinned_oracle_revisions() {
     // Validate the actual setup program, not just YAML syntax: a misspelled