diff --git a/.github/workflows/insider-linux.yml b/.github/workflows/insider-linux.yml
index 18b9cee..8229111 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/insider-linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/insider-linux.yml
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Node.js environment
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
-          node-version: '20.17'
+          node-version: '20.18'
         if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
 
       - name: Install Yarn
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           PULL_REQUEST_ID: ${{ github.event.inputs.checkout_pr }}
         run: ./get_pr.sh
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
 
       - name: Install GH
         run: ./install_gh.sh
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Node.js environment
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
-          node-version: '20.17'
+          node-version: '20.18'
         if: env.DISABLED != 'yes'
 
       - name: Setup Python 3
diff --git a/.github/workflows/insider-windows.yml b/.github/workflows/insider-windows.yml
index f32b842..16de472 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/insider-windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/insider-windows.yml
@@ -32,21 +32,13 @@ env:
   VSCODE_QUALITY: insider
 
 jobs:
-  build:
-    runs-on: windows-2019
-    defaults:
-      run:
-        shell: bash
-    env:
-      VSCODE_ARCH: ${{ matrix.vscode_arch }}
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        vscode_arch:
-          - x64
-          - arm64
+  check:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
+      MS_COMMIT: ${{ env.MS_COMMIT }}
+      MS_TAG: ${{ env.MS_TAG }}
       RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}
+      SHOULD_BUILD: ${{ env.SHOULD_BUILD }}
       SHOULD_DEPLOY: ${{ env.SHOULD_DEPLOY }}
 
     steps:
@@ -59,19 +51,6 @@ jobs:
           PULL_REQUEST_ID: ${{ github.event.inputs.checkout_pr }}
         run: ./get_pr.sh
 
-      - name: Setup Node.js environment
-        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version: '20.18'
-
-      - name: Install Yarn
-        run: npm install -g yarn
-
-      - name: Setup Python 3
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.11'
-
       - name: Clone VSCode repo
         run: ./get_repo.sh
 
@@ -80,19 +59,162 @@ jobs:
           GENERATE_ASSETS: ${{ github.event.inputs.generate_assets }}
         run: ./check_cron_or_pr.sh
 
+      - name: Check existing VSCodium tags/releases
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          CHECK_ALL: 'yes'
+        run: ./check_tags.sh
+
+  compile:
+    needs:
+      - check
+    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    env:
+      MS_COMMIT: ${{ needs.check.outputs.MS_COMMIT }}
+      MS_TAG: ${{ needs.check.outputs.MS_TAG }}
+      RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ needs.check.outputs.RELEASE_VERSION }}
+      SHOULD_BUILD: ${{ (needs.check.outputs.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes' || github.event.inputs.generate_assets == 'true') && 'yes' || 'no' }}
+      VSCODE_ARCH: 'x64'
+    outputs:
+      BUILD_SOURCEVERSION: ${{ env.BUILD_SOURCEVERSION }}
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ env.GITHUB_BRANCH }}
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Switch to relevant branch
+        env:
+          PULL_REQUEST_ID: ${{ github.event.inputs.checkout_pr }}
+        run: ./get_pr.sh
+
+      - name: Setup GCC
+        uses: egor-tensin/setup-gcc@v1
+        with:
+          version: 10
+          platform: x64
+
+      - name: Setup Node.js environment
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: '20.18'
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Install Yarn
+        run: npm install -g yarn
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Setup Python 3
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.11'
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Install libkrb5-dev
+        run: sudo apt-get update -y && sudo apt-get install -y libkrb5-dev
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Clone VSCode repo
+        run: ./get_repo.sh
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Build
+        env:
+          SHOULD_BUILD_REH: 'no'
+          SHOULD_BUILD_REH_WEB: 'no'
+        run: ./build.sh
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Compress vscode artifact
+        run: |
+          find vscode -type f -not -path "*/node_modules/*" -not -path "vscode/.build/node/*" -not -path "vscode/.git/*" > vscode.txt
+          echo "vscode/.build/extensions/node_modules" >> vscode.txt
+          echo "vscode/.git" >> vscode.txt
+          tar -czf vscode.tar.gz -T vscode.txt
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Upload vscode artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: vscode
+          path: ./vscode.tar.gz
+          retention-days: ${{ needs.check.outputs.SHOULD_DEPLOY == 'yes' && 30 || 1 }}
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+  build:
+    needs:
+      - check
+      - compile
+    runs-on: windows-2019
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        vscode_arch:
+          - x64
+          - arm64
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash
+    env:
+      BUILD_SOURCEVERSION: ${{ needs.compile.outputs.BUILD_SOURCEVERSION }}
+      MS_COMMIT: ${{ needs.check.outputs.MS_COMMIT }}
+      MS_TAG: ${{ needs.check.outputs.MS_TAG }}
+      RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ needs.check.outputs.RELEASE_VERSION }}
+      SHOULD_BUILD: ${{ (needs.check.outputs.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes' || github.event.inputs.generate_assets == 'true') && 'yes' || 'no' }}
+      SHOULD_DEPLOY: ${{ needs.check.outputs.SHOULD_DEPLOY }}
+      VSCODE_ARCH: ${{ matrix.vscode_arch }}
+    outputs:
+      RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}
+      SHOULD_DEPLOY: ${{ env.SHOULD_DEPLOY }}
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ env.GITHUB_BRANCH }}
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Switch to relevant branch
+        env:
+          PULL_REQUEST_ID: ${{ github.event.inputs.checkout_pr }}
+        run: ./get_pr.sh
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Setup Node.js environment
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: '20.18'
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Install Yarn
+        run: npm install -g yarn
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Setup Python 3
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.11'
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
       - name: Check existing VSCodium tags/releases
         env:
           DISABLE_MSI: ${{ vars.DISABLE_INSIDER_MSI }}
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         run: ./check_tags.sh
-        if: env.SHOULD_DEPLOY == 'yes' || github.event.inputs.generate_assets == 'true'
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
+
+      - name: Download vscode artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: vscode
+        if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
 
       - name: Build
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           npm_config_arch: ${{ matrix.vscode_arch }}
           npm_config_target_arch: ${{ matrix.vscode_arch }}
-        run: ./build.sh
+        run: ./package_windows.sh
         if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
 
       - name: Prepare assets
diff --git a/.github/workflows/stable-linux.yml b/.github/workflows/stable-linux.yml
index 4ea18d8..65d6fe7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/stable-linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/stable-linux.yml
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Node.js environment
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
-          node-version: '20.17'
+          node-version: '20.18'
         if: env.SHOULD_BUILD == 'yes'
 
       - name: Install Yarn
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Node.js environment
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
-          node-version: '20.17'
+          node-version: '20.18'
         if: env.DISABLED != 'yes'
 
       - name: Setup Python 3
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 919a6a5..07d7752 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -29,13 +29,16 @@ if [[ "${SHOULD_BUILD}" == "yes" ]]; then
 
     VSCODE_PLATFORM="darwin"
   elif [[ "${OS_NAME}" == "windows" ]]; then
-    . ../build/windows/rtf/make.sh
+    # in CI, packaging will be done by a different job
+    if [[ "${CI_BUILD}" == "no" ]]; then
+      . ../build/windows/rtf/make.sh
 
-    yarn gulp "vscode-win32-${VSCODE_ARCH}-min-ci"
+      yarn gulp "vscode-win32-${VSCODE_ARCH}-min-ci"
 
-    if [[ "${VSCODE_ARCH}" != "ia32" && "${VSCODE_ARCH}" != "x64" ]]; then
-      SHOULD_BUILD_REH="no"
-      SHOULD_BUILD_REH_WEB="no"
+      if [[ "${VSCODE_ARCH}" != "x64" ]]; then
+        SHOULD_BUILD_REH="no"
+        SHOULD_BUILD_REH_WEB="no"
+      fi
     fi
 
     VSCODE_PLATFORM="win32"
diff --git a/package_windows.sh b/package_windows.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..0a322b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package_windows.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# shellcheck disable=SC1091
+
+set -ex
+
+if [[ "${CI_BUILD}" == "no" ]]; then
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+tar -xzf ./vscode.tar.gz
+
+cd vscode || { echo "'vscode' dir not found"; exit 1; }
+
+for i in {1..5}; do # try 5 times
+  npm ci && break
+  if [[ $i -eq 3 ]]; then
+    echo "Npm install failed too many times" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  echo "Npm install failed $i, trying again..."
+done
+
+node build/azure-pipelines/distro/mixin-npm
+
+. ../build/windows/rtf/make.sh
+
+yarn gulp "vscode-win32-${VSCODE_ARCH}-min-ci"
+
+cd ..