diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 58449b1eedb..949729fefc2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ jobs:
                     task: "test-shard",
                     shard_name: shard.shardName,
                     configs: shard.configs,
+                    requires_dist: shard.requiresDist,
                   }))
                 : [],
             ),
@@ -425,11 +426,18 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build Control UI
         run: pnpm ui:build
 
+      - name: Cache dist build
+        uses: actions/cache@v5
+        with:
+          path: dist/
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-dist-build-${{ github.sha }}
+
       - name: Upload dist artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
           name: dist-build
           path: dist/
+          compression-level: 0
           retention-days: 1
 
       - name: Upload A2UI bundle artifact
@@ -640,7 +648,16 @@ jobs:
       - name: Configure Node test resources
         run: echo "OPENCLAW_VITEST_MAX_WORKERS=2" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
 
+      - name: Restore dist cache
+        id: dist-cache
+        if: matrix.requires_dist == true
+        uses: actions/cache@v5
+        with:
+          path: dist/
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-dist-build-${{ github.sha }}
+
       - name: Download dist artifact
+        if: matrix.requires_dist == true && steps.dist-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
           name: dist-build
@@ -988,8 +1005,16 @@ jobs:
           install-bun: "false"
           use-sticky-disk: "false"
 
-      - name: Download dist artifact
+      - name: Restore dist cache
+        id: build-smoke-dist-cache
         if: github.event_name == 'push'
+        uses: actions/cache@v5
+        with:
+          path: dist/
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-dist-build-${{ github.sha }}
+
+      - name: Download dist artifact
+        if: github.event_name == 'push' && steps.build-smoke-dist-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
           name: dist-build
diff --git a/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs b/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs
index 205b6427207..ac1520931ee 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs
+++ b/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ const EXCLUDED_FULL_SUITE_SHARDS = new Set([
 ]);
 
 const EXCLUDED_PROJECT_CONFIGS = new Set(["test/vitest/vitest.channels.config.ts"]);
+const DIST_DEPENDENT_NODE_SHARD_NAMES = new Set([
+  "core-support-boundary",
+  "core-runtime",
+  "agentic",
+]);
 
 function formatNodeTestShardCheckName(shardName) {
   const normalizedShardName = shardName.startsWith("core-unit-")
@@ -31,6 +36,7 @@ export function createNodeTestShards() {
         checkName: formatNodeTestShardCheckName(shard.name),
         shardName: shard.name,
         configs,
+        requiresDist: DIST_DEPENDENT_NODE_SHARD_NAMES.has(shard.name),
       },
     ];
   });
diff --git a/test/scripts/ci-node-test-plan.test.ts b/test/scripts/ci-node-test-plan.test.ts
index 4dca9c1e108..16e7fe49c04 100644
--- a/test/scripts/ci-node-test-plan.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/ci-node-test-plan.test.ts
@@ -24,4 +24,12 @@ describe("scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs", () => {
     expect(configs).not.toContain("test/vitest/vitest.full-extensions.config.ts");
     expect(configs).not.toContain("test/vitest/vitest.extension-telegram.config.ts");
   });
+
+  it("marks only dist-dependent shards for built artifact restore", () => {
+    const requiresDistShardNames = createNodeTestShards()
+      .filter((shard) => shard.requiresDist)
+      .map((shard) => shard.shardName);
+
+    expect(requiresDistShardNames).toEqual(["core-support-boundary", "core-runtime", "agentic"]);
+  });
 });