diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/self-deploy.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/self-deploy.yml
index ba4f5ca77..526b96605 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/self-deploy.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/self-deploy.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,13 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
-          cache: npm
+          # cache: npm intentionally omitted — setup-node@v4 invokes the system
+          # npm to validate the lockfile, and on the forgejo-runner pod the
+          # system Node is v22 (the slim nix-profile install used to bootstrap
+          # JS-based actions). package.json's engines: { node: ">=26.1.0" }
+          # triggers EBADENGINE on that v22 invocation. The workflow's own
+          # `npm ci` step below runs after PATH is updated to the just-installed
+          # Node 26, so it's unaffected.
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |