diff --git a/.github/workflows/rust-napi-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/rust-napi-ci.yml
index e28bbdf..cecdcac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/rust-napi-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/rust-napi-ci.yml
@@ -115,6 +115,12 @@ jobs:
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8
         with:
           targets: wasm32-wasip1-threads
+      - name: Ensure cargo on PATH
+        # dtolnay/rust-toolchain only prepends $CARGO_HOME/bin to PATH when it
+        # installs rustup itself. On runners with pre-installed rustup but no
+        # active toolchain, `cargo` resolves to a `rustup-init` symlink and
+        # fails with `unexpected argument 'metadata'`.
+        run: echo "$HOME/.cargo/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
       - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@0c5077e51419868618aeaa5fe8019c62421857d6 # v2
       - run: ${{ inputs.install-command }}
       - run: bun run build
@@ -137,6 +143,10 @@ jobs:
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8
         with:
           components: clippy, rustfmt
+      - name: Ensure cargo on PATH
+        # See note in `runtime-compat`: workaround for dtolnay/rust-toolchain
+        # not adding $CARGO_HOME/bin to PATH when rustup is pre-installed.
+        run: echo "$HOME/.cargo/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
       - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@e18b497796c12c097a38f9edb9d0641fb99eee32 # v2
         with:
           shared-key: rust-checks
@@ -207,6 +217,11 @@ jobs:
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8
         with:
           targets: ${{ matrix.settings.target }}
+      - if: inputs.build-changed == 'true'
+        name: Ensure cargo on PATH
+        # See note in `runtime-compat`: workaround for dtolnay/rust-toolchain
+        # not adding $CARGO_HOME/bin to PATH when rustup is pre-installed.
+        run: echo "$HOME/.cargo/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
       - if: inputs.build-changed == 'true'
         uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@e18b497796c12c097a38f9edb9d0641fb99eee32 # v2
         with: