diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 81d5d9850b..0840a00bc4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -265,6 +265,16 @@ jobs:
       - name: Typecheck
         if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' || needs.changes.outputs.backend == 'true' }}
         run: npm run typecheck
+      # Moved ahead of "Test with coverage" (#ci-engine-build-order): src/mcp/find-opportunities.ts (root
+      # backend, since #2281/#3985) imports packages/gittensory-miner/lib/opportunity-fanout.js -- committed,
+      # pre-built JS -- which itself imports @jsonbored/gittensory-engine. That package's dist/ is gitignored
+      # and only exists after this build step, so ANY backend test run needs it built first, not just a PR
+      # that happens to touch packages/gittensory-engine/** directly (this step's original, too-narrow
+      # trigger, back when the two packages were still independent). Running late (its original position,
+      # after coverage) meant test:coverage failed to resolve the package on every PR that didn't touch it.
+      - name: Build engine package
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' || needs.changes.outputs.backend == 'true' || needs.changes.outputs.engine == 'true' }}
+        run: npm run build --workspace @jsonbored/gittensory-engine
       - name: Prepare test reports dir
         if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' || needs.changes.outputs.backend == 'true' }}
         run: mkdir -p reports/junit
@@ -392,9 +402,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: MCP package check
         if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' || needs.changes.outputs.mcp == 'true' }}
         run: npm run test:mcp-pack
-      - name: Build engine package
-        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' || needs.changes.outputs.engine == 'true' }}
-        run: npm run build --workspace @jsonbored/gittensory-engine
       - name: Build miner CLI
         if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' || needs.changes.outputs.miner == 'true' }}
         run: npm run build:miner