diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index dc2d7a5..25ce5e7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ jobs:
   sanity-build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
+      # This runner's job containers don't come with docker preinstalled —
+      # same reason ci.yml's `test` job has to do this before its own
+      # `docker run` calls.
+      - name: Install docker
+        run: apt-get update && apt-get install -y docker.io
+
       - uses: https://github.com/actions/checkout@v4
 
       # Build only, no push, no registry — just confirms Portainer will be