diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
index fd97c41..8fb7332 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -100,6 +100,24 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Ensure Docker CLI
+        run: |
+          set -eux
+          if ! command -v docker >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            DOCKER_VERSION=27.5.1
+            curl -fsSL "https://download.docker.com/linux/static/stable/$(uname -m)/docker-${DOCKER_VERSION}.tgz" \
+              | tar -xz -C /usr/local/bin --strip-components=1 docker/docker
+          fi
+          if ! docker compose version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            COMPOSE_VERSION=v2.32.4
+            mkdir -p /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins
+            curl -fsSL "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/${COMPOSE_VERSION}/docker-compose-$(uname -s | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')-$(uname -m)" \
+              -o /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
+            chmod +x /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
+          fi
+          docker --version
+          docker compose version
+
       - name: Start stack
         run: docker compose -p life-towers -f docker-compose.dev.yml up --build -d