diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/cicd-start.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/cicd-start.yaml
index cdb6ad1..f367c78 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/cicd-start.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/cicd-start.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   sanity-and-routing:
     name: Sanity and Base Decision
-    runs-on: ubuntu-act
+    # Keep startup lightweight to avoid runner image setup stalls.
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
       base_needed: ${{ steps.base-decision.outputs.base_needed }}
       head_sha: ${{ steps.base-decision.outputs.head_sha }}
@@ -54,31 +55,6 @@ jobs:
             echo "${GITEA_REGISTRY_IP} ${GITEA_REGISTRY_HOST}" >> /etc/hosts
           fi
 
-      - name: Registry sanity login
-        env:
-          PACKAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PACKAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
-          REGISTRY_USER: ${{ github.actor }}
-        run: |
-          echo "${PACKAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN}" | docker login "http://${GITEA_REGISTRY}" -u "${REGISTRY_USER}" --password-stdin
-
-      - name: Registry sanity push and pull
-        env:
-          REGISTRY_USER: ${{ github.actor }}
-        run: |
-          PREFLIGHT_TAG="${GITHUB_SHA:-manual}"
-          PREFLIGHT_REF="${GITEA_REGISTRY}/darkhelm.org/plex-playlist-ci-preflight:${PREFLIGHT_TAG}"
-
-          cat <<'EOF' > /tmp/Dockerfile.preflight
-          FROM scratch
-          LABEL org.opencontainers.image.title="plex-playlist registry preflight"
-          LABEL org.opencontainers.image.description="Minimal image used to verify registry push/pull access"
-          EOF
-
-          docker build -f /tmp/Dockerfile.preflight -t registry-preflight:latest /tmp
-          docker tag registry-preflight:latest "${PREFLIGHT_REF}"
-          docker push "${PREFLIGHT_REF}"
-          docker pull "${PREFLIGHT_REF}"
-
       - name: Compute base hash and base-needed signal
         id: base-decision
         env:
@@ -127,32 +103,9 @@ jobs:
 
           echo "head_sha=${GITHUB_SHA}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "base_hash=${BASE_HASH}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-
-          for i in 1 2 3; do
-            echo "Base availability check ${i}/3 for ${BASE_REF_HASH}"
-
-            # Manifest inspect is unreliable on some runners; use pull as truth.
-            if timeout 900 docker pull "${BASE_REF_HASH}" >/tmp/start-base-pull.log 2>&1; then
-              echo "pull_check=ok"
-              echo "Base rebuild needed: false"
-              echo "base_needed=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-              exit 0
-            else
-              pull_exit=$?
-              echo "pull_check=failed exit_code=${pull_exit}"
-              if [ "${pull_exit}" -eq 124 ]; then
-                echo "Base pull timed out after 900s"
-              fi
-              if [ -s /tmp/start-base-pull.log ]; then
-                tail -n 20 /tmp/start-base-pull.log || true
-              fi
-            fi
-            if [ "${i}" -lt 3 ]; then
-              sleep 10
-            fi
-          done
-
-          echo "Base rebuild needed: true"
+          # Route through docker-build-base always; it already performs robust
+          # registry/base existence checks and can short-circuit heavy rebuilds.
+          echo "Base rebuild decision delegated to Docker Build Base workflow"
           echo "base_needed=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
       - name: Dispatch downstream workflow
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/cicd.yml b/.gitea/workflows/cicd.yml
index 7d2d528..24c8825 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/cicd.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/cicd.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   launch:
     name: Launch CICD Start
-    runs-on: ubuntu-act
+    # Lightweight dispatch-only job; avoid dependency on ubuntu-act image startup.
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Configure registry host resolution
         run: |