diff --git a/.github/actions/setup-parity-runtime/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup-parity-runtime/action.yml
index b606a1a..8ee5eaf 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup-parity-runtime/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup-parity-runtime/action.yml
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ runs:
     - uses: actions/setup-node@820762786026740c76f36085b0efc47a31fe5020 # v7
       with:
         node-version: "24"
-    # Free disk + enable the containerd image store (build-cache export). Reuses
-    # the Taskfile so the runner prep is identical to release.yml.
+    # Free disk, enable the containerd image store (build-cache export) and turn
+    # bake's filesystem entitlement off. Reuses the Taskfile so the runner prep
+    # is identical to release.yml.
     - run: go tool task ci:prepare-runner
       shell: bash
     - run: go tool task reference
diff --git a/.github/workflows/go-cli.yml b/.github/workflows/go-cli.yml
index d208e52..77e43aa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go-cli.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go-cli.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   lint-and-test:
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       contents: read
     steps:
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   e2e:
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: lint-and-test
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ jobs:
   # Hermetic parity gate: read-configuration golden comparison + the contract
   # lane of the parity matrix (flag validation / output contract, no Docker).
   parity:
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: lint-and-test
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ jobs:
   # on quiet days. Runs on schedule/dispatch so the daily lanes' `needs:` is satisfied.
   daily-changes:
     if: github.event_name == 'schedule' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
       run: ${{ steps.check.outputs.run }}
     steps:
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ jobs:
       && needs.lint-and-test.result == 'success'
       && (github.event_name == 'push' || github.event_name == 'pull_request'
           || needs.daily-changes.outputs.run == 'true')
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ jobs:
   parity-publish-full:
     needs: [lint-and-test, daily-changes]
     if: needs.daily-changes.outputs.run == 'true'
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7
         with:
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ jobs:
   # publish) into the one true cross-lane number.
   parity-runtime-gate:
     if: always()
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [lint-and-test, e2e, parity, parity-runtime, parity-publish-full]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ jobs:
         run: go tool task parity:gate
 
   cross-compile:
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: lint-and-test
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 485831b..4214675 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
   # exists; on dispatch we compute the version and validate the tag is free, but
   # DO NOT tag yet (the `tag` job below tags only after the gates pass).
   prepare:
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
       version: ${{ steps.resolve.outputs.version }}
       tag: ${{ steps.resolve.outputs.tag }}
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
   # Hermetic gates — the same task targets CI runs on every push/PR.
   # The release is blocked unless these pass.
   gate:
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: prepare
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ jobs:
 
   # Runtime lane (real Docker containers). ubuntu-latest ships Docker.
   gate-runtime:
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: prepare
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ jobs:
   # skipped (the tag already exists). The GITHUB_TOKEN push does not re-trigger the
   # workflow, so there is no second run.
   tag:
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [prepare, gate, gate-runtime]
     if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
     steps:
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ jobs:
         run: go tool task release:tag
 
   goreleaser:
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [prepare, gate, gate-runtime, tag]
     # `tag` is skipped on the push path, so gate on explicit success/skip rather
     # than the default all-succeeded semantics.
@@ -166,8 +166,7 @@ jobs:
       # Multi-arch image build (arm64 emulated) + buildx driver for the
       # dockers:/docker_manifests: blocks in .goreleaser.yml.
       - uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@99012661954931238ded8c8b007157a8430204e1 # v4
-      - name: Setup Blacksmith Builder
-        uses: useblacksmith/setup-docker-builder@19215110ab936351210feebdfa5b440b4493e184 # v2
+      - uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@f87e5991a6d7451dcb8d9637bfbc97413f497069 # v4.4.1
 
       # GHCR login. Only reached on the tag path (this workflow is push.tags),
       # never on PRs, so images are pushed exclusively from an approved tag run.
@@ -216,7 +215,7 @@ jobs:
 
   # Non-gating: perf/distribution metrics recorded per release, never blocks.
   metrics:
-    runs-on: blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [prepare, goreleaser]
     continue-on-error: true
     steps:
diff --git a/Taskfile.yml b/Taskfile.yml
index 2effcaa..2524a29 100644
--- a/Taskfile.yml
+++ b/Taskfile.yml
@@ -322,9 +322,16 @@ tasks:
       - go test ./internal/cli -run TestPublishParity -count=1 -timeout 10m -v
 
   ci:prepare-runner:
-    desc: "CI-ONLY: free disk + enable the containerd image store (uses sudo; not for local dev)"
+    desc: "CI-ONLY: free disk + enable the containerd image store + bake's fs entitlement off (uses sudo; not for local dev)"
     cmds:
       - go run ./cmd/devtool ci-prepare-runner
+      # The TS reference builds a compose service from a Dockerfile it writes under /tmp,
+      # outside the build context. Compose builds through bake, and bake on buildx 0.38
+      # (GitHub's runner image, 2026-10-24) refuses to read a file outside the context unless
+      # the caller passes --allow=fs.read, which the reference never does: every compose case
+      # failed with "additional privileges requested" while the Go CLI, which passes the
+      # entitlement itself, succeeded. Off for the whole job, so both sides build the same way.
+      - echo "BUILDX_BAKE_ENTITLEMENTS_FS=0" >> "${GITHUB_ENV:-/dev/null}"
 
   ci:daily-changes:
     desc: "Whether the daily lanes run (run= to $GITHUB_OUTPUT, or the terminal): always on a manual dispatch, else only when HEAD changed in the last day"