diff --git a/.github/actions/host-compile-setup/action.yaml b/.github/actions/host-compile-setup/action.yaml
index 9ed14ed43..db1c22233 100644
--- a/.github/actions/host-compile-setup/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/host-compile-setup/action.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ runs:
         echo env context ${{ env }}
 
     - name: Cache stm32 tools
-      uses: '${{ github.action_path }}/cache-stm32-tools'
+      uses: './.github/cache-stm32-tools'
 
     - name: Check out Opentrons monorepo
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/gripper.yaml b/.github/workflows/gripper.yaml
index 20f156320..14df5eb48 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gripper.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gripper.yaml
@@ -46,11 +46,11 @@ on:
 env:
   ci: 1
   CACHE_VERSION: ${{ secrets.CACHE_VERSION }}
+  ACTION_PATH: ./action-path
 
 defaults:
   run:
     shell: bash
-    working-directory: ot3-firmware
 
 jobs:
   cross-compile-check:
@@ -61,7 +61,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout ot3-firmware repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          path: ot3-firmware
+          path: main
+
+      - name: Checkout workflow/action directory
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          sparse-checkout: |
+            .github
+          path: ./.github
 
       - name: Cross-compile setup
         uses: './.github/actions/cross-compile-setup'
@@ -77,17 +84,22 @@ jobs:
     name: "Host-Compile/Test"
     runs-on: "ubuntu-20.04"
     timeout-minutes: 10
-    defaults:
-      run:
-        working-directory: ot3-firmware
     steps:
       - name: Checkout ot3-firmware repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          path: ot3-firmware
+          path: main
+
+      - name: Checkout workflow/action directory
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          sparse-checkout: |
+            .github
+          sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false
+          path: .github
 
       - name: Host Compile setup
-        uses: './ot3-firmware/.github/actions/host-compile-setup'
+        uses: './.github/actions/host-compile-setup'
 
 #      - name: 'Build and test'
 #        run: cmake --build ./build-host --target gripper-build-and-test