diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-wheel.yml b/.github/workflows/build-wheel.yml
index fd5128cc4..88ef787a6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-wheel.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-wheel.yml
@@ -185,7 +185,8 @@ jobs:
         id: setup-python2
         uses: actions/setup-python@a26af69be951a213d495a4c3e4e4022e16d87065  # v5.6.0
         with:
-          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          # workaround for actions/runner-images#12377 (the cached 3.13.4 is buggy on Windows)
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.13' && '3.13.5' || matrix.python-version }}
 
       - name: Set up Python include paths
         run: |