diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index cfa0cfd..ac33702 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   tests-transcript:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       max-parallel: 4
@@ -20,12 +20,33 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Check out repository code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Restore cached ucm release
+        id: restore-cached-ucm
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            /opt/unisonlanguage
+            /usr/local/bin/ucm
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-ucm-${{ matrix.ucm-release-version }}
+      - name: Install ucm
+        if: steps.restore-cached-ucm.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        env:
+          UCM_RELEASE: ${{ matrix.ucm-release-version }}
+        run: ./install-ucm.sh
       - name: Run tests transcript
         env:
           UNISON_BASE_VERSION: ${{ matrix.base-version }}
-          UCM_RELEASE: ${{ matrix.ucm-release-version }}
           UNISON_DEBUG: timing
         run: |
           apt-get update && apt-get -y install gettext-base
           cd tests
           ./run-tests.sh
+      - name: Cache ucm release
+        if: ${{ !cancelled() && steps.restore-cached-ucm.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' && startsWith(matrix.ucm-release-version, 'release') }}
+        id: save-ucm-to-cache
+        uses: actions/cache/save@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            /opt/unisonlanguage
+            /usr/local/bin/ucm
+          key: ${{ steps.restore-cached-ucm.outputs.cache-primary-key }}
diff --git a/install-ucm.sh b/install-ucm.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..c9c5f4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install-ucm.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -euxo pipefail
+
+release_file_name() {
+  case "$UCM_RELEASE" in
+    "release%2F0.5.23"  | "release%2F0.5.27")
+      echo "ucm-linux.tar.gz"
+      ;;
+    *)
+      echo "ucm-linux-x64.tar.gz"
+      ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+mkdir -p /opt/unisonlanguage
+
+curl --fail-with-body -L "https://github.com/unisonweb/unison/releases/download/${UCM_RELEASE}/$(release_file_name)" | tar -xz -C /opt/unisonlanguage
+
+ln -s /opt/unisonlanguage/ucm /usr/local/bin/ucm
diff --git a/tests/run-tests.sh b/tests/run-tests.sh
index 1275dc3..a3c993a 100755
--- a/tests/run-tests.sh
+++ b/tests/run-tests.sh
@@ -6,22 +6,9 @@ TRANSCRIPT=pull-and-run-tests.md
 
 envsubst < pull-and-run-tests.tpl.md > $TRANSCRIPT
 
-release_file_name() {
-  case "$UCM_RELEASE" in
-    "release%2F0.5.23"  | "release%2F0.5.27")
-      echo "ucm-linux.tar.gz"
-      ;;
-    *)
-      echo "ucm-linux-x64.tar.gz"
-      ;;
-  esac
-}
-
-curl --fail-with-body -L "https://github.com/unisonweb/unison/releases/download/${UCM_RELEASE}/$(release_file_name)" | tar -xz
-
 exit_status=0
 
-./ucm transcript "$TRANSCRIPT" || exit_status=$?
+ucm transcript "$TRANSCRIPT" || exit_status=$?
 cat pull-and-run-tests.output.md
 
 exit "$exit_status"