diff --git a/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml b/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml
index cfe4e46..46547d7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ on:
         type: boolean
         description: Build selftests with -O2 optimization in addition to non-optimized build.
         default: false
+      pahole-origin:
+        required: false
+        default: 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/devel/pahole/pahole.git'
+        type: string
+      pahole-rev:
+        required: false
+        default: 'master'
+        type: string
     secrets:
       AWS_ROLE_ARN:
         required: true
@@ -69,6 +77,8 @@ jobs:
       llvm-version: ${{ inputs.llvm-version }}
       kernel: ${{ inputs.kernel }}
       download_sources: ${{ inputs.download_sources }}
+      pahole-origin: ${{ inputs.pahole-origin }}
+      pahole-rev: ${{ inputs.pahole-rev }}
   build-release:
     if: ${{ inputs.build_release }}
     uses: ./.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
@@ -80,6 +90,8 @@ jobs:
       llvm-version: ${{ inputs.llvm-version }}
       kernel: ${{ inputs.kernel }}
       download_sources: ${{ inputs.download_sources }}
+      pahole-origin: ${{ inputs.pahole-origin }}
+      pahole-rev: ${{ inputs.pahole-rev }}
       release: true
   test:
     if: ${{ inputs.run_tests }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml b/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
index ba0beca..55bfb78 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,14 @@ on:
         type: boolean
         description: Build selftest with -O2 optimization
         default: false
+      pahole-origin:
+        required: false
+        type: string
+        default: 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/devel/pahole/pahole.git'
+      pahole-rev:
+        required: false
+        type: string
+        default: 'master'
 
 jobs:
   build:
@@ -96,7 +104,8 @@ jobs:
         with:
           arch: ${{ inputs.arch }}
           llvm-version: ${{ inputs.llvm-version }}
-          pahole: master
+          pahole: ${{ inputs.pahole-rev }}
+          pahole-origin: ${{ inputs.pahole-origin }}
 
       - name: Build kernel image
         uses: libbpf/ci/build-linux@v3
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pahole.yaml b/.github/workflows/pahole.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..535c318
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/pahole.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+name: pahole staging
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 0 * * 0' # once a week
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - "pahole-staging"
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      origin:
+        default: 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/devel/pahole/pahole.git'
+        required: true
+      rev:
+        default: 'next'
+        required: true
+
+jobs:
+  build-and-test:
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        runs_on: ["ubuntu-24.04"]
+        build_runs_on: ["ubuntu-24.04"]
+        arch: ["x86_64", "aarch64", "s390x"]
+        toolchain:
+          - { "name": "llvm", "fullname": "llvm-18", "version": 18 }
+        tests:
+          - include:
+            - { "test": "test_progs", "continue_on_error": false, "timeout_minutes": 360 }
+      fail-fast: false
+    name: "pahole@next ${{ matrix.arch }}"
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml
+    permissions:
+      id-token: write
+      contents: read
+    with:
+      arch: ${{ matrix.arch }}
+      build_release: false
+      build_runs_on: ${{ toJSON(matrix.build_runs_on) }}
+      download_sources: ${{ github.repository == 'kernel-patches/vmtest' }}
+      kernel: 'LATEST'
+      llvm-version: ${{ matrix.toolchain.version }}
+      pahole-origin: ${{ inputs.origin || 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/devel/pahole/pahole.git' }}
+      pahole-rev: ${{ inputs.rev || 'next' }}
+      run_tests: true
+      run_veristat: false
+      runs_on: ${{ toJSON(matrix.runs_on) }}
+      tests: ${{ toJSON(matrix.tests) }}
+      toolchain: ${{ matrix.toolchain.name }}
+      toolchain_full: ${{ matrix.toolchain.fullname }}
+    # we need to pass AWS_ROLE_ARN, because github complains it's "required"
+    # however it's not used, because we don't run veristat
+    secrets:
+      AWS_ROLE_ARN: ''