diff --git a/.github/actions/install-focal-deps/action.yml b/.github/actions/install-focal-deps/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0770ca11a6d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/install-focal-deps/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# This action installs dependencies missing from the default
+# focal image used by arm64 github workers.
+#
+# TODO(marun): Find an image with the required dependencies already installed.
+
+name: 'Install focal arm64 dependencies'
+description: 'Installs the dependencies required to build avalanchego on an arm64 github worker running Ubuntu 20.04 (focal)'
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: Install build-essential
+      run: |
+        sudo apt update
+        sudo apt -y install build-essential
+      shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-linux-binaries.yml b/.github/workflows/build-linux-binaries.yml
index bee07d0faa8c..9f5cdfe97475 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-linux-binaries.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-linux-binaries.yml
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/install-focal-deps
+
       - uses: ./.github/actions/setup-go-for-project-v3
 
       - run: go version
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu-arm64-release.yml b/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu-arm64-release.yml
index 9605a16dee9d..096137b1a2ef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu-arm64-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu-arm64-release.yml
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/install-focal-deps
       - uses: ./.github/actions/setup-go-for-project-v3
       - run: go version
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 7251dadcc951..7fc80756daed 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -31,17 +31,13 @@ jobs:
         os: [macos-12, ubuntu-20.04, ubuntu-22.04, windows-2022, custom-arm64-focal, custom-arm64-jammy]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/install-focal-deps
+        if: matrix.os == 'custom-arm64-focal'
       - uses: ./.github/actions/setup-go-for-project-v3
       - name: Set timeout on Windows # Windows UT run slower and need a longer timeout
         shell: bash
         if: matrix.os == 'windows-2022'
         run: echo "TIMEOUT=240s" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-      - name: Install build dependencies not available by default on custom-arm64-focal runners
-        shell: bash
-        if: matrix.os == 'custom-arm64-focal'
-        run: |
-          sudo apt update
-          sudo apt -y install build-essential
       - name: build_test
         shell: bash
         run: ./scripts/build_test.sh