diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/pull-cache.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/pull-cache.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..82d5208
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/pull-cache.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+name: Pull Actions Cache
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      runs_on_label:
+        description: The runner label to execute this workflow on.
+        required: false
+        type: string
+        default: ubuntu-22.04
+
+jobs:
+  # This job does literally nothing but force the designated runner 
+  # to clone/pull the chromart-gitea-actions repository into its worker cache.
+  # This is needed after a runner container is recreated or its cache is wiped.
+  pull-cache:
+    runs-on: ${{ inputs.runs_on_label }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Force actions clone
+        uses: martin/chromart-gitea-actions/.gitea/workflows/diff-output.yaml@main
+        with:
+          files: 'nonexistent-file-to-force-cache-pull'
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/reload-act-runner.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/reload-act-runner.yaml
index 800633f..2c3d789 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/reload-act-runner.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/reload-act-runner.yaml
@@ -20,10 +20,27 @@ jobs:
       runs_on_label: runner-secondary
       
   reload-secondary:
-    needs: reload-primary
+    needs: [diff, reload-primary]
+    if: ${{ needs.diff.outputs.is_changed == 'true' }}
     # ensuring the primary actually survived and restarted successfully
     uses: martin/chromart-gitea-actions/.gitea/workflows/gitainer-deploy.yaml@main
     with:
       stack_name: gitea_act_runner_secondary
       # the primary runner executes the secondary restart webhook
       runs_on_label: runner-primary
+
+  pull-cache-primary:
+    needs: [diff, reload-secondary]
+    if: ${{ needs.diff.outputs.is_changed == 'true' }}
+    # Use the primary runner (which is now done restarting secondary) to prove it's alive and pull cache
+    uses: martin/chromart-gitea-actions/.gitea/workflows/pull-cache.yaml@main
+    with:
+      runs_on_label: runner-primary
+
+  pull-cache-secondary:
+    needs: [diff, pull-cache-primary]
+    if: ${{ needs.diff.outputs.is_changed == 'true' }}
+    # Use the secondary runner (which is now done restarting) to prove it's alive and pull cache
+    uses: martin/chromart-gitea-actions/.gitea/workflows/pull-cache.yaml@main
+    with:
+      runs_on_label: runner-secondary