diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
index b42315b..f39e81d 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
@@ -98,12 +98,23 @@ jobs:
           # a matching toolchain and never needs to download one.
           go-version-file: backend/go.mod
 
-      # The self-hosted runner keeps a persistent Go build cache. A prior run
-      # under a different (auto-downloaded) toolchain left objects that mismatch
-      # the pinned toolchain ("compile: version ... does not match go tool
-      # version"). Clear it so everything recompiles with this toolchain.
-      - name: Clean Go build cache
-        run: go clean -cache
+      # The self-hosted runner has a stale global GOROOT pointing at a different
+      # Go install, so `go` (from setup-go) invokes a mismatched `compile`
+      # ("compile: version ... does not match go tool version"). Pin GOROOT to
+      # the directory of the active go binary for all later steps, and clear the
+      # persistent build cache so objects recompile with this toolchain.
+      - name: Align Go toolchain
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          GO_BIN="$(command -v go)"
+          GR="$(cd "$(dirname "$GO_BIN")/.." && pwd)"
+          echo "active go: $GO_BIN"
+          echo "env GOROOT (before): ${GOROOT:-unset}"
+          echo "resolved GOROOT: $GR"
+          echo "GOROOT=$GR" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          GOROOT="$GR" go version
+          GOROOT="$GR" go tool compile -V || true
+          GOROOT="$GR" go clean -cache
 
       - name: Setup Node
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4