diff --git a/.github/workflows/checks.yml b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
index 22f6d38b70..b911a26353 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
@@ -69,7 +69,20 @@ jobs:
         toolchain: stable
     # needed for integration & memory tests codecs support
     - run: sudo add-apt-repository multiverse && sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y ubuntu-restricted-extras
-    - run: sudo apt-get -y install binaryen
+
+    # Install binaryen version_116 locally: TODO install script
+    - run: sudo apt-get -y install curl
+    - run: curl -L https://github.com/WebAssembly/binaryen/releases/download/version_116/binaryen-version_116-x86_64-linux.tar.gz > binaryen.tar.gz
+    - run: tar xzf binaryen.tar.gz
+    # TODO I was not able, after more than an hour, to update the PATH env through
+    # either of the hundred ways the internets tell me to for GitHub actions.
+    # I just want to add:
+    # $(pwd)/binaryen-version_116/bin
+    # to PATH.
+    # Someone more well-versed on GitHub actions black magic may help me, or
+    # probably we will just merge before the auto-install script dev and be done
+    # with it.
+
     - run: npm install
     - run: rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknown
     - run: npm run build