diff --git a/.github/actions/setup_project/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup_project/action.yml
index b7eebd090..3861d5563 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup_project/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup_project/action.yml
@@ -21,10 +21,22 @@ runs:
       with:
         python-version-file: ".python-version"
 
+    - name: Restore cached virtualenv
+      uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
+      with:
+        key: venv-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles(".python-version") }}-${{ hashFiles("pyproject.toml") }}
+        path: .venv
+
     - name: Install dependencies
       run: uv run ./manage.py install_xapian
       shell: bash
 
+    - name: Save cached virtualenv
+      uses: actions/cache/save@v4
+      with:
+        key: venv-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles(".python-version") }}-${{ hashFiles("pyproject.toml") }}
+        path: .venv
+
     - name: Compile gettext messages
       run: uv run ./manage.py compilemessages
       shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 9b3b0f632..edb277a5c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -18,17 +18,24 @@ jobs:
       with:
         extra_args: --all-files
 
+  setup:
+    name: Setup project for testing
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/setup_project
+      - name: Run tests
+
   tests:
     name: Run tests and generate coverage report
+    needs: setup
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false  # don't interrupt the other test processes
       matrix:
         pytest-mark: [slow, not slow]
     steps:
-      - name: Check out repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - uses: ./.github/actions/setup_project
       - name: Run tests
         run: uv run coverage run -m pytest -m "${{ matrix.pytest-mark }}"
       - name: Generate coverage report