diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-examples.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-examples.yaml
index 4769dd35..7c172daf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-examples.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-examples.yaml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ env:
 
 jobs:
   detect-changes:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: arc-ubuntu24.04-big
     outputs:
       matrix: ${{ steps.changes.outputs.matrix }}
     steps:
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: detect-changes
     if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.matrix != ''
     timeout-minutes: 60
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: arc-ubuntu24.04-big
 
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
diff --git a/build-environments/test_build-environments.py b/build-environments/test_build-environments.py
index c06f07e9..83856f07 100644
--- a/build-environments/test_build-environments.py
+++ b/build-environments/test_build-environments.py
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ def _cleanup_base():
 
     # 1. Build the base image.
     unikraft.build(context, base_tag)
-    time.sleep(3)
 
     # 2. Run the base image; it auto-converts into a template.
     unikraft.run_instance(
@@ -85,7 +84,6 @@ def _cleanup_base():
     # 4. Build ROM images.
     unikraft.build(context / "rom1", rom1_tag)
     unikraft.build(context / "rom2", rom2_tag)
-    time.sleep(3)
 
     return template_name, rom1_tag, rom2_tag
 
diff --git a/conftest.py b/conftest.py
index 56e70df6..8c94d1b7 100644
--- a/conftest.py
+++ b/conftest.py
@@ -138,10 +138,6 @@ def _build(example_dir: str, image_name: str) -> str:
 
         unikraft.build(context, tag)
 
-        # TODO: drop this once the platform exposes a way to wait until a
-        # freshly-built image is fully available for `unikraft run`.
-        time.sleep(3)
-
         return tag
 
     return _build
diff --git a/minecraft/test_minecraft.py b/minecraft/test_minecraft.py
index c69347ce..58fa82c1 100644
--- a/minecraft/test_minecraft.py
+++ b/minecraft/test_minecraft.py
@@ -136,7 +136,6 @@ def _cleanup_base():
 
     # 1. Build the base image.
     unikraft.build(context, base_tag)
-    time.sleep(3)
 
     # 2. Run the base image with the base ROM; it auto-converts into a template.
     unikraft.run_instance(
diff --git a/node-code-execution/test_node-code-execution.py b/node-code-execution/test_node-code-execution.py
index 53fa80e4..9c02b8fe 100644
--- a/node-code-execution/test_node-code-execution.py
+++ b/node-code-execution/test_node-code-execution.py
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ def _cleanup_base():
 
     # 1. Build the base image.
     unikraft.build(context, base_tag)
-    time.sleep(3)
 
     # 2. Run the base image; it auto-converts into a template.
     unikraft.run_instance(
@@ -85,7 +84,6 @@ def _cleanup_base():
     # 4. Build ROM images.
     unikraft.build(context / "rom1", rom1_tag)
     unikraft.build(context / "rom2", rom2_tag)
-    time.sleep(3)
 
     return template_name, rom1_tag, rom2_tag