diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index ad2f74254..707387af9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: changes
     if: ${{ needs.changes.outputs.x4_component != '[]' && needs.changes.outputs.x4_component != '' }}
 
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os.name }}-${{ matrix.os.version }}
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os.name == 'windows' && 'self-hosted' || format('{0}-{1}', matrix.os.name, matrix.os.version) }}
 
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -102,8 +102,15 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v5
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
+        # with:
+        #   submodules: recursive
+        # ^^^ does not work for self-hosted Windows runner
+
+      - name: Checkout submodules
+        run: |
+          git submodule sync --recursive
+          git -c protocol.version=2 submodule update --init --force --depth=1 --recursive
+          git submodule foreach --recursive git config --local gc.auto 0
 
       - name: Initialize Ubuntu
         if: matrix.os.name == 'ubuntu'