diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index 67ece821c..6ad490325 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ jobs:
             libpipewire-0.3-dev libspa-0.2-dev libjack-jackd2-dev \
             libasound2-dev libpulse-dev libsndfile1-dev \
             libgl1-mesa-dev libgl1-mesa-dri mesa-vulkan-drivers \
-            libvulkan-dev libxkbcommon-dev libxkbcommon-x11-dev xvfb
+            libvulkan-dev libxkbcommon-dev libxkbcommon-x11-dev xvfb build-essentials
 
       # ------------------------------------------------------------------
       # Build environment
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ jobs:
       # System dependencies
       # ------------------------------------------------------------------
       - name: Install system dependencies
-        shell: C:\msys2\usr\bin\bash.exe
+        shell: msys2{0}
         run: |
           bash tooling/install-deps.sh
           pacman -S --needed --noconfirm \
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ jobs:
       # bridge targets; the vendored source needs MSVC-only constructs).
       # Dynamic here — the CD packages the DLLs next to the binaries.
       - name: Configure build environment
-        shell: C:\msys2\usr\bin\bash.exe
+        shell: msys2{0}
         run: |
           echo "OCIO_RS_ENABLE_REAL=1" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           echo "OCIO_INSTALL_DIR=/ucrt64" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ jobs:
       # Project FFmpeg (script + FFMPEG_DIR; see docs/build.md)
       # ------------------------------------------------------------------
       - name: Build project FFmpeg
-        shell: C:\msys2\usr\bin\bash.exe
+        shell: msys2{0}
         run: |
           bash tooling/ffmpeg/build-ffmpeg.sh
           echo "FFMPEG_DIR=$(cygpath -m "$PWD/.cache/ffmpeg")" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ jobs:
       # Build & test
       # ------------------------------------------------------------------
       - name: Build
-        shell: C:\msys2\usr\bin\bash.exe
+        shell: msys2{0}
         run: |
           # The runner's job hook injects the MSVC INCLUDE/LIB into every
           # step; clear them in-step (they poison the MinGW compiles with
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ jobs:
           cargo build --workspace --locked
 
       - name: Test
-        shell: C:\msys2\usr\bin\bash.exe
+        shell: msys2{0}
         run: |
           unset INCLUDE LIB
           # See Build (Windows): trailing -lmsvcrt for the mingw-w64