diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 5418669a..44315fed 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@ jobs:
         with:
           add-rust-environment-hash-key: false
           save-if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
+          # One cache per leg: they build different things, and a shared key
+          # let the quicker 5.10 leg save first, so the runner leg's debug
+          # build for the live tests was never cached.
+          key: ${{ matrix.kernel }}
       - name: Download eBPF artifact
         uses: actions/download-artifact@3e5f45b2cfb9172054b4087a40e8e0b5a5461e7c # v8.0.1
         with:
@@ -390,26 +394,11 @@ jobs:
           test_binary="$(cargo test --locked --lib --no-run --message-format=json | jq -r 'select(.reason == "compiler-artifact" and .target.kind == ["lib"] and .executable != null) | .executable')"
           sudo "$test_binary" integration_group_ --ignored --test-threads=1
 
-  atomic:
-    name: ${{ matrix.shard == '1/1' && format('Atomic ({0})', matrix.platform) || format('Atomic ({0} shard {1})', matrix.platform, matrix.shard) }}
+  atomic-linux:
+    name: Atomic (linux)
     if: ${{ !inputs.skip_atomics }}
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: ebpf-build
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        include:
-          - os: ubuntu-latest
-            platform: linux
-            shard: 1/1
-          # Windows runs its ~75 atomics sequentially and is the long pole, so
-          # it is split across two runners.
-          - os: windows-latest
-            platform: windows
-            shard: 1/2
-          - os: windows-latest
-            platform: windows
-            shard: 2/2
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7
         with:
@@ -426,23 +415,14 @@ jobs:
           save-if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
 
       - name: Download eBPF artifact
-        if: matrix.platform == 'linux'
         uses: actions/download-artifact@3e5f45b2cfb9172054b4087a40e8e0b5a5461e7c # v8.0.1
         with:
           name: rustinel-ebpf-object
           path: ebpf/
 
-      # Each shard builds its own binary. With a warm cache this is quicker
-      # than a shared build job plus an artifact hop, and the Linux leg does
-      # not wait on the Windows build.
       - name: Build PR binary
         run: cargo build --locked --release
 
-      - name: Run native capture contract (Windows)
-        if: matrix.platform == 'windows' && matrix.shard == '1/2'
-        run: python tests\native_capture_contract.py --binary "$env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE\target\release\rustinel.exe"
-        shell: pwsh
-
       - name: Read shared atomic rules pin
         id: rules-pin
         shell: bash
@@ -479,13 +459,7 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: rustinel-rules
         run: python tests/atomic/run_atomics.py --check-coverage --strict-essential
 
-      - name: Exclude workspace from Defender (Windows, for EICAR)
-        if: matrix.platform == 'windows'
-        run: Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "$env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-        shell: pwsh
-
       - name: Run atomic tests (Linux)
-        if: matrix.platform == 'linux'
         working-directory: rustinel-rules
         run: |
           # The hosted runner leaves /opt writable by other accounts.
@@ -497,12 +471,113 @@ jobs:
             --engine-bin "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/scripts/atomic_managed_service.sh" \
             --engine-dir /opt/rustinel \
             --rules-dir "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/rustinel-rules" \
-            --pack auto \
-            --shard "${{ matrix.shard }}"
+            --pack auto
         shell: bash
 
+      - name: Prepare atomic logs for upload (Unix)
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          if [ -d /opt/rustinel/logs ]; then
+            sudo cp -a /opt/rustinel/logs rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/managed-logs
+            sudo chown -R "$(id -u):$(id -g)" rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/managed-logs
+          fi
+          if [ -f /opt/rustinel/engine.stdout.log ]; then
+            sudo cp /opt/rustinel/engine.stdout.log rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/engine.stdout.log
+            sudo chown "$(id -u):$(id -g)" rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/engine.stdout.log
+          fi
+        shell: bash
+
+      - name: Upload atomic report and logs
+        if: always()
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@043fb46d1a93c77aae656e7c1c64a875d1fc6a0a # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          name: atomic-linux
+          path: |
+            rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/report-*.json
+            rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/.engine/engine.stdout.log
+            rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/.engine/logs/
+            rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/engine.stdout.log
+            rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/managed-logs/
+          include-hidden-files: true
+          if-no-files-found: warn
+
+  # Windows needs no eBPF object, so it starts at once instead of waiting on
+  # ebpf-build. Its ~75 atomics run sequentially and are the long pole, so
+  # they are split across three runners.
+  atomic:
+    name: Atomic (windows shard ${{ matrix.shard }})
+    if: ${{ !inputs.skip_atomics }}
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        shard: [1/3, 2/3, 3/3]
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - uses: actions-rust-lang/setup-rust-toolchain@ecabd13d1c56bd1345c230e542e9144811ad706f # v2.0.0
+        with:
+          cache: false
+          rustflags: ""
+
+      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@6323deb102c322ba6fcbdcafc7e3dddab59af2b6 # v2.9.2
+        with:
+          add-rust-environment-hash-key: false
+          save-if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
+
+      # Each shard builds its own binary: with a warm cache that beats a
+      # shared build job plus an artifact hop.
+      - name: Build PR binary
+        run: cargo build --locked --release
+
+      - name: Run native capture contract (Windows)
+        if: matrix.shard == '1/3'
+        run: python tests\native_capture_contract.py --binary "$env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE\target\release\rustinel.exe"
+        shell: pwsh
+
+      - name: Read shared atomic rules pin
+        id: rules-pin
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          ref="$(cat .github/atomic-rules-ref)"
+          if [[ ! "$ref" =~ ^[0-9a-f]{40}$ ]]; then
+            echo "Expected a full commit SHA in .github/atomic-rules-ref" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "ref=$ref" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Check out pinned rules
+        uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7
+        with:
+          repository: Karib0u/rustinel-rules
+          ref: ${{ steps.rules-pin.outputs.ref }}
+          path: rustinel-rules
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@c18668ad3cf93ea998bef934396af7bb5c839dc7 # v10.2.0
+        with:
+          enable-cache: false
+
+      - name: Build pinned rules pack
+        working-directory: rustinel-rules
+        run: |
+          uv sync --frozen
+          # Validate a rules commit, not the enclosing engine release tag.
+          uv run python -c "import os, subprocess, sys; os.environ.pop('GITHUB_REF_TYPE', None); sys.exit(subprocess.call([sys.executable, 'tools/validate.py']))"
+          uv run python tools/build_packs.py
+
+      - name: Check atomic coverage metadata
+        working-directory: rustinel-rules
+        run: python tests/atomic/run_atomics.py --check-coverage --strict-essential
+
+      - name: Exclude workspace from Defender (Windows, for EICAR)
+        run: Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "$env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+        shell: pwsh
+
       - name: Run atomic tests (Windows)
-        if: matrix.platform == 'windows'
         working-directory: rustinel-rules
         run: |
           # The runner's D:\a grants Users write, and the agent refuses inputs
@@ -527,30 +602,15 @@ jobs:
             --shard "${{ matrix.shard }}"
         shell: pwsh
 
-      - name: Prepare atomic logs for upload (Unix)
-        if: always() && matrix.platform != 'windows'
-        run: |
-          if [ -d /opt/rustinel/logs ]; then
-            sudo cp -a /opt/rustinel/logs rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/managed-logs
-            sudo chown -R "$(id -u):$(id -g)" rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/managed-logs
-          fi
-          if [ -f /opt/rustinel/engine.stdout.log ]; then
-            sudo cp /opt/rustinel/engine.stdout.log rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/engine.stdout.log
-            sudo chown "$(id -u):$(id -g)" rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/engine.stdout.log
-          fi
-        shell: bash
-
       - name: Upload atomic report and logs
         if: always()
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@043fb46d1a93c77aae656e7c1c64a875d1fc6a0a # v7.0.1
         with:
-          name: atomic-${{ matrix.platform }}-${{ strategy.job-index }}
+          name: atomic-windows-${{ strategy.job-index }}
           path: |
             rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/report-*.json
             rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/.engine/engine.stdout.log
             rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/.engine/logs/
-            rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/engine.stdout.log
-            rustinel-rules/tests/atomic/managed-logs/
           include-hidden-files: true
           if-no-files-found: warn