diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 3e0955943..7f4bb7e1a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -687,9 +687,11 @@ jobs:
          # Windows binary is cross-built on Linux, so we have no Windows runner
          # to smoke it on. Cross-build correctness is verified via the napi
          # entry-point exports (see build-native action) and the bun
-         # `--compile --target=bun-windows-x64-*` cross-compile.
+         # `--compile --target=bun-windows-x64-*` cross-compile. Musl binaries
+         # need the musl loader, which glibc runners lack — they are smoked in
+         # the Alpine container step below instead.
          - name: Smoke release binary
-           if: matrix.platform != 'win32'
+           if: matrix.platform != 'win32' && matrix.libc != 'musl'
            run: |
               runtime_dir="$(mktemp -d)"
               HOME="$runtime_dir/home" XDG_DATA_HOME="$runtime_dir/xdg" "${{ matrix.binary_path }}" --version