diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f28e1eece..0d13894df 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ jobs:
           # through it; rust is the compiler. Nothing else is invoked here —
           # and this is the ONLY job that needs zig, the 17.3s pole the other
           # jobs used to pay for nothing. See the ci job.
-          install_args: rust zig ubi:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild
+          install_args: rust zig github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild
       - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@6323deb102c322ba6fcbdcafc7e3dddab59af2b6 # v2.9.2
         with:
           # A per-target key: a leg's artifacts are target-specific and would
diff --git a/mise.lock b/mise.lock
index 83fc900d6..8bf7052d6 100644
--- a/mise.lock
+++ b/mise.lock
@@ -308,6 +308,45 @@ url_api = "https://api.github.com/repos/tamasfe/taplo/releases/assets/257323116"
 url = "https://github.com/tamasfe/taplo/releases/download/0.10.0/taplo-windows-x86_64.zip"
 url_api = "https://api.github.com/repos/tamasfe/taplo/releases/assets/257323062"
 
+[[tools."github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"]]
+version = "0.23.0"
+backend = "github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"
+
+[tools."github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"."platforms.linux-arm64"]
+checksum = "sha256:5917d5416884cba0f23c2653016f7f2df2ec04e74eb6b259598fecc066f8c429"
+url = "https://github.com/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/download/v0.23.0/cargo-zigbuild-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.xz"
+url_api = "https://api.github.com/repos/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/assets/450974332"
+
+[tools."github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"."platforms.linux-arm64-musl"]
+checksum = "sha256:5917d5416884cba0f23c2653016f7f2df2ec04e74eb6b259598fecc066f8c429"
+url = "https://github.com/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/download/v0.23.0/cargo-zigbuild-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.xz"
+url_api = "https://api.github.com/repos/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/assets/450974332"
+
+[tools."github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"."platforms.linux-x64"]
+checksum = "sha256:c636e4f72b6f40a40ddf0414c8c6056f78b87eea3be0edf01f08d65fa028a373"
+url = "https://github.com/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/download/v0.23.0/cargo-zigbuild-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.xz"
+url_api = "https://api.github.com/repos/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/assets/450974354"
+
+[tools."github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"."platforms.linux-x64-musl"]
+checksum = "sha256:f0aa9cc8220a84788c6e4a9b6d80422f041659227b680fdef982d5a8ddffddb4"
+url = "https://github.com/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/download/v0.23.0/cargo-zigbuild-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tar.xz"
+url_api = "https://api.github.com/repos/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/assets/450974357"
+
+[tools."github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"."platforms.macos-arm64"]
+checksum = "sha256:3d8f1ad296d3f3e97122607f7c972393c6329801027acb71bb7d17a4e30ef092"
+url = "https://github.com/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/download/v0.23.0/cargo-zigbuild-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.xz"
+url_api = "https://api.github.com/repos/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/assets/450974334"
+
+[tools."github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"."platforms.macos-x64"]
+checksum = "sha256:f8c746d12dfae79ac0704c5aa13631a05b24c3e4ee7216eb40f70943bd8ca7b1"
+url = "https://github.com/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/download/v0.23.0/cargo-zigbuild-x86_64-apple-darwin.tar.xz"
+url_api = "https://api.github.com/repos/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/assets/450974346"
+
+[tools."github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"."platforms.windows-x64"]
+checksum = "sha256:82ff1207be9e9533267b83dbe33d0b16b30043f116dc336d9a526667fa27622a"
+url = "https://github.com/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/download/v0.23.0/cargo-zigbuild-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.zip"
+url_api = "https://api.github.com/repos/rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild/releases/assets/450974351"
+
 [[tools.hk]]
 version = "1.54.0"
 backend = "aqua:jdx/hk"
@@ -428,10 +467,6 @@ backend = "core:rust"
 [tools.rust.options]
 components = "clippy,rustfmt"
 
-[[tools."ubi:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"]]
-version = "0.23.0"
-backend = "ubi:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild"
-
 [[tools.uv]]
 version = "0.8.24"
 backend = "aqua:astral-sh/uv"
diff --git a/mise.toml b/mise.toml
index ae8afb477..9e9815298 100644
--- a/mise.toml
+++ b/mise.toml
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ pkl = "0.32.1"                        # evaluates hk.pkl as a check, not only wh
 # npm tool here, so node comes with it and nothing else depends on either.
 node = "24"
 "npm:prettier" = "3.6.2"
-zig = "0.16"                             # the linker for the macOS release build and the darwin-link gate: zig carries Darwin linker support, so Linux emits a Mach-O with no Apple SDK
-"ubi:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild" = "0.23" # drives cargo through zig. Prebuilt via ubi, so its own MSRV (1.88) never constrains this repo's pinned 1.85
-zizmor = "1.29.0"                        # GitHub Actions static analysis; run via `mise run zizmor` (in `verify` and CI)
-uv = "0.8"                               # fast Rust installer the pipx: backend uses to fetch Serena
+zig = "0.16"                                # the linker for the macOS release build and the darwin-link gate: zig carries Darwin linker support, so Linux emits a Mach-O with no Apple SDK
+"github:rust-cross/cargo-zigbuild" = "0.23" # drives cargo through zig. Prebuilt via GitHub releases, so its own MSRV (1.88) never constrains this repo's pinned 1.85
+zizmor = "1.29.0"                           # GitHub Actions static analysis; run via `mise run zizmor` (in `verify` and CI)
+uv = "0.8"                                  # fast Rust installer the pipx: backend uses to fetch Serena
 # Serena's LSP-backed semantic code tools (see .mcp.json). Pinned here — not in
 # .mcp.json — so its version lives with every other tool and lands in mise.lock.
 # The pipx backend installs it with `uv` (present above), keeping the fast resolver.