diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/project-ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/project-ci.yml
index 304fd7c47..714491747 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/project-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/project-ci.yml
@@ -152,6 +152,23 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check server-rs boundaries
         run: npm run check:server-rs-ddd
 
+      - name: Prepare server-rs Rust dependencies
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          for attempt in $(seq 1 5); do
+            if cargo fetch --locked \
+              --target x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu \
+              --manifest-path server-rs/Cargo.toml; then
+              break
+            fi
+            if [[ "${attempt}" -eq 5 ]]; then
+              echo 'server-rs Cargo dependency fetch failed after 5 attempts.' >&2
+              exit 1
+            fi
+            sleep $((attempt * 2))
+          done
+
       - name: Run server-rs workspace tests
         run: cargo test --locked --workspace --no-fail-fast --manifest-path server-rs/Cargo.toml
 
@@ -180,6 +197,27 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install AI game creator dependencies
         run: npm ci --prefix apps/ai-game-creator-shell
 
+      - name: Prepare native Rust dependencies
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          for manifest_path in \
+            apps/desktop-shell/src-tauri/Cargo.toml \
+            apps/ai-game-creator-shell/src-tauri/Cargo.toml; do
+            for attempt in $(seq 1 5); do
+              if cargo fetch --locked \
+                --target x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu \
+                --manifest-path "${manifest_path}"; then
+                break
+              fi
+              if [[ "${attempt}" -eq 5 ]]; then
+                echo "Cargo dependency fetch failed after 5 attempts: ${manifest_path}" >&2
+                exit 1
+              fi
+              sleep $((attempt * 2))
+            done
+          done
+
       - name: Run native shell gates
         run: npm run check:native-shells