diff --git a/.github/workflows/actions/use-nodes/action.yml b/.github/workflows/actions/use-nodes/action.yml
index ab7c34264b..9d45b2649d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/actions/use-nodes/action.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/actions/use-nodes/action.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ description: Downloads and configures the substrate and polkadot binaries built
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
+    - name: Install dependencies
+      shell: bash
+      run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y curl gcc make clang cmake
+
     - name: Download substrate-node binary
       id: download-substrate-binary
       uses: dawidd6/action-download-artifact@bf251b5aa9c2f7eeb574a96ee720e24f801b7c11 # v6
@@ -32,9 +36,8 @@ runs:
         chmod u+x ./polkadot-prepare-worker
         ./substrate-node --version
         ./polkadot --version
-        mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
-        mv ./substrate-node ~/.local/bin
-        mv ./polkadot ~/.local/bin
-        mv ./polkadot-execute-worker ~/.local/bin
-        mv ./polkadot-prepare-worker ~/.local/bin
+        sudo mv ./substrate-node /usr/local/bin
+        sudo mv ./polkadot /usr/local/bin
+        sudo mv ./polkadot-execute-worker /usr/local/bin
+        sudo mv ./polkadot-prepare-worker /usr/local/bin
         rm ./polkadot.tar.gz
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-nodes.yml b/.github/workflows/build-nodes.yml
index c48f2fc351..6ec594c026 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-nodes.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-nodes.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   tests:
     name: Build Substrate and Polkadot Binaries
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest-16-cores
+    runs-on: parity-large
     steps:
       - name: checkout polkadot-sdk
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -18,13 +18,15 @@ jobs:
           repository: paritytech/polkadot-sdk
 
       - name: Install dependencies
-        run: sudo apt-get install -y protobuf-compiler
+        run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y protobuf-compiler curl gcc make clang cmake
 
-      - name: Install WASM toolchain
-        run: rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknown
-
-      - name: Install WASM toolchain
-        run: rustup component add rust-src
+      - name: Install Rust stable toolchain
+        uses: actions-rs/toolchain@v1
+        with:
+          profile: minimal
+          toolchain: stable
+          components: rust-src
+          target: wasm32-unknown-unknown
 
       - name: Rust Cache
         uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@23bce251a8cd2ffc3c1075eaa2367cf899916d84 # v2.7.3
diff --git a/.github/workflows/rust.yml b/.github/workflows/rust.yml
index ae092449f9..fb2de1e067 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/rust.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/rust.yml
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ jobs:
 
   clippy:
     name: Cargo clippy
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: parity-large
     needs: [fmt, machete]
     steps:
       - name: Checkout sources
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ jobs:
 
   check:
     name: Cargo check
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: parity-large
     needs: [fmt, machete]
     steps:
       - name: Checkout sources
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ jobs:
 
   docs:
     name: Check documentation and run doc tests
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: parity-large
     needs: [fmt, machete]
     steps:
       - name: Checkout sources
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ jobs:
 
   tests:
     name: "Test (Native)"
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest-16-cores
+    runs-on: parity-large
     needs: [clippy, wasm_clippy, check, wasm_check, docs]
     timeout-minutes: 30
     steps:
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ jobs:
 
   unstable_backend_tests:
     name: "Test chainhead backend"
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest-16-cores
+    runs-on: parity-large
     needs: [clippy, wasm_clippy, check, wasm_check, docs]
     timeout-minutes: 30
     steps: