diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 692da344..8828d9dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -3,12 +3,18 @@ name: ci
 on: [push, pull_request]
 
 jobs:
+  clean-pkg-dir:
+    steps:
+      - name: clean pkg/ dir
+        run: |
+          rm pkg/*.gem
   native-gems:
+    needs: clean-pkg-dir
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         ruby: [2.7, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2]
-        platform: 
+        platform:
           - { os: ubuntu, target: linux-x64 }
           - { os: macos,  target: macos-x64 }
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform.os }}-latest
@@ -62,6 +68,7 @@ jobs:
   # - We're not testing here also because it's been taken care of in the previous
   #   step
   install-only-gem:
+    needs: clean-pkg-dir
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
@@ -106,11 +113,12 @@ jobs:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
   disable-sys-libs:
+    needs: clean-pkg-dir
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         ruby: [2.7, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2]
-        platform: 
+        platform:
           - { os: ubuntu, target: linux-x64, ext: so    }
           - { os: macos,  target: macos-x64, ext: dylib }
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform.os }}-latest
@@ -142,11 +150,11 @@ jobs:
           bundle exec rake test
       - name: fresh project on PR
         if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
-        env: 
+        env:
            BRANCH: HEAD
         run: bin/ci-test-project
       - name: fresh project when not a PR
         if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
-        env: 
+        env:
            BRANCH: ${{ github.ref_name }}
         run: bin/ci-test-project