diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
index b05780e..efc611c 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -31,12 +31,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Resolve Podman user socket for this runner
-        run: |
-          SVC_USER="ci-service"   # CI runner user on the CI host
-          uid=$(id -u "$SVC_USER")
-          echo "PODMAN_SOCK=/run/user/${uid}/podman/podman.sock" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
-
       - name: Verify runner wiring to Podman
         run: |
           podman --version
@@ -70,6 +64,9 @@ jobs:
           chmod +x ./pip_ready.sh
           ./pip_ready.sh
 
+      - name: Verify Podman socket inside PiP
+        run: podman exec ci-pip-${{ env.RUN_ID }} sh -lc 'test -S /run/podman-host/podman.sock && echo OK'
+
       - name: Network sanity from PiP
         run: podman exec ci-pip-${{ env.RUN_ID }} sh -lc 'getent hosts git.gcdo.org && curl -sS -o /dev/null -w "status=%{http_code}\n" https://git.gcdo.org/api/healthz'
 
@@ -137,12 +134,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Resolve Podman user socket for this runner
-        run: |
-          SVC_USER="ci-service"   # CI runner user on the CI host
-          uid=$(id -u "$SVC_USER")
-          echo "PODMAN_SOCK=/run/user/${uid}/podman/podman.sock" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
-
       - name: Verify runner wiring to Podman
         run: |
           podman --version
@@ -171,6 +162,9 @@ jobs:
           chmod +x ./pip_ready.sh
           ./pip_ready.sh
 
+      - name: Verify Podman socket inside PiP
+        run: podman exec ci-pip-${{ env.RUN_ID }} sh -lc 'test -S /run/podman-host/podman.sock && echo OK'
+
       - name: Network sanity from PiP
         run: podman exec ci-pip-${{ env.RUN_ID }} sh -lc 'getent hosts git.gcdo.org && curl -sS -o /dev/null -w "status=%{http_code}\n" https://git.gcdo.org/api/healthz'
 
@@ -195,12 +189,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Resolve Podman user socket for this runner
-        run: |
-          SVC_USER="ci-service"   # CI runner user on the CI host
-          uid=$(id -u "$SVC_USER")
-          echo "PODMAN_SOCK=/run/user/${uid}/podman/podman.sock" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
-
       - name: Verify runner wiring to Podman
         run: |
           podman --version
@@ -222,6 +210,9 @@ jobs:
           chmod +x ./pip_ready.sh
           ./pip_ready.sh
 
+      - name: Verify Podman socket inside PiP
+        run: podman exec ci-pip-${{ env.RUN_ID }} sh -lc 'test -S /run/podman-host/podman.sock && echo OK'
+
       - name: Network sanity from PiP
         run: podman exec ci-pip-${{ env.RUN_ID }} sh -lc 'getent hosts git.gcdo.org && curl -sS -o /dev/null -w "status=%{http_code}\n" https://git.gcdo.org/api/healthz'
 
@@ -262,12 +253,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Resolve Podman user socket for this runner
-        run: |
-          SVC_USER="ci-service"   # CI runner user on the CI host
-          uid=$(id -u "$SVC_USER")
-          echo "PODMAN_SOCK=/run/user/${uid}/podman/podman.sock" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
-
       - name: Verify runner wiring to Podman
         run: |
           podman --version
@@ -289,6 +274,9 @@ jobs:
           chmod +x ./pip_ready.sh
           ./pip_ready.sh
 
+      - name: Verify Podman socket inside PiP
+        run: podman exec ci-pip-${{ env.RUN_ID }} sh -lc 'test -S /run/podman-host/podman.sock && echo OK'
+
       - name: Network sanity from PiP
         run: podman exec ci-pip-${{ env.RUN_ID }} sh -lc 'getent hosts git.gcdo.org && curl -sS -o /dev/null -w "status=%{http_code}\n" https://git.gcdo.org/api/healthz'