diff --git a/.github/actions/prepare/action.yml b/.github/actions/prepare/action.yml
index 761d258e..f2c2687a 100644
--- a/.github/actions/prepare/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/prepare/action.yml
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ runs:
       uses: actions/cache/restore@caa296126883cff596d87d8935842f9db880ef25 # v5.1.0
       with:
         path: /mnt/kryptik/sources
-        key: sources-${{ hashFiles('sources.lock') }}
+        key: sources-v2-${{ hashFiles('sources.lock') }}
         # A changed lock restores the previous set and fetches only what is
         # new; every file is still hashed against the lock.
         restore-keys: ${{ inputs.sources == 'fetch' && 'sources-' || '' }}
@@ -62,4 +62,4 @@ runs:
       uses: actions/cache/save@caa296126883cff596d87d8935842f9db880ef25 # v5.1.0
       with:
         path: /mnt/kryptik/sources
-        key: sources-${{ hashFiles('sources.lock') }}
+        key: sources-v2-${{ hashFiles('sources.lock') }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 3347a4e5..2dc0f248 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/cache/restore@caa296126883cff596d87d8935842f9db880ef25 # v5.1.0
         with:
           path: /mnt/kryptik/sources
-          key: sources-${{ hashFiles('sources.lock') }}
+          key: sources-v2-${{ hashFiles('sources.lock') }}
           restore-keys: |
             sources-
 
diff --git a/docs/supply-chain.md b/docs/supply-chain.md
index 610d26b0..8892cd8f 100644
--- a/docs/supply-chain.md
+++ b/docs/supply-chain.md
@@ -148,9 +148,9 @@ checks them against kernel.org's published developer keys.
 
 ## Open problems
 
-- The GNU keyring is fetched over the network, so a signature checked against
-  it means "signed by whoever the keyring says". Checking those keys out of
-  band is manual.
+- The GNU keyring is fetched over the network and kept with the sources, so a
+  signature checked against it means "signed by whoever the keyring said when
+  it was fetched". Checking those keys out of band is manual.
 - The kernel.org signing keys are pinned by fingerprint in
   `tools/verify-signatures.sh`, and those fingerprints still need confirming
   against kernel.org independently.
diff --git a/tools/fetch-sources.sh b/tools/fetch-sources.sh
index 31b71261..28cbe888 100755
--- a/tools/fetch-sources.sh
+++ b/tools/fetch-sources.sh
@@ -291,6 +291,17 @@ delete it yet - work out why first. See docs/supply-chain.md."
     fi
 done < <(manifest)
 
+# The GNU keyring, kept with the sources so a cache of them carries it: the
+# signature gate checks GNU signatures against it, and ftp.gnu.org does not
+# answer every runner every time.
+keyring="${KRYPTIK_SOURCES}/.keys/gnu-keyring.gpg"
+if [[ ! -s "$keyring" ]]; then
+    mkdir -p "${KRYPTIK_SOURCES}/.keys"
+    log "fetching the GNU keyring"
+    fetch_attempt "https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-keyring.gpg" "$keyring" fresh \
+        || { rm -f "${keyring}.part"; warn "could not fetch the GNU keyring; tools/verify-signatures.sh fetches it again"; }
+fi
+
 if [[ "$MODE" == "lock" ]]; then
     sort -k2 "${KRYPTIK_LOCK}.new" > "$KRYPTIK_LOCK"
     rm -f "${KRYPTIK_LOCK}.new"
diff --git a/tools/verify-signatures.sh b/tools/verify-signatures.sh
index 6dcb03b1..cd9968d9 100755
--- a/tools/verify-signatures.sh
+++ b/tools/verify-signatures.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ have gpg || die "gpg not found. Install gnupg."
 
 KEYDIR="${KRYPTIK_ROOT}/build/work/keys"
 SIGDIR="${KRYPTIK_SOURCES}/.signatures"
-GNU_KEYRING="${KEYDIR}/gnu-keyring.gpg"
+# With the sources, so a cache of them carries it (tools/fetch-sources.sh).
+GNU_KEYRING="${KRYPTIK_SOURCES}/.keys/gnu-keyring.gpg"
 
 # A private GNUPGHOME, not --keyring: GnuPG 2.4 with keyboxd silently ignores
 # --keyring and verifies against the user's own store.
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ REPORT=""
 NOTES="$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/source-notes.tsv"
 for a in "$@"; do
     case "$a" in
-        --refresh) rm -rf "$GNUPGHOME" "$GNU_KEYRING" "${GNU_KEYRING}.imported" ;;
+        --refresh) rm -rf "$GNUPGHOME" "$GNU_KEYRING" ;;
         --fetch-unknown-keys) FETCH_UNKNOWN=1 ;;
         --strict) STRICT=1 ;;
         --report=*) REPORT="${a#--report=}" ;;
@@ -67,10 +68,13 @@ report() {
 # run, not only with --fetch-unknown-keys (see UNAUDITED_FPRS).
 KEYS_MANIFEST="${KRYPTIK_ROOT}/keys.manifest"
 
-mkdir -p "$KEYDIR" "$SIGDIR" "$GNUPGHOME"
+mkdir -p "$KEYDIR" "$SIGDIR" "$GNUPGHOME" "$(dirname "$GNU_KEYRING")"
 chmod 700 "$GNUPGHOME"
 
 IMPORTED_MARK="${GNUPGHOME}/.kryptik-imported"
+# This GNUPGHOME has the GNU keyring in it: kept beside the keys, not beside
+# the keyring file, which outlives any one checkout's keys.
+GNU_IMPORTED="${GNUPGHOME}/.gnu-keyring-imported"
 
 # A host that throttles (freedesktop.org answers 418 to a busy runner, others
 # 429 or 503) is asked again after a pause; a 404 is an answer.
@@ -157,15 +161,15 @@ import_keys() {
     if [[ ! -s "$GNU_KEYRING" ]]; then
         quiet_fetch "${CANONICAL_GNU}/gnu-keyring.gpg" "$GNU_KEYRING" || rm -f "$GNU_KEYRING"
     fi
-    if [[ -s "$GNU_KEYRING" && ! -f "${GNU_KEYRING}.imported" ]]; then
+    if [[ -s "$GNU_KEYRING" && ! -f "$GNU_IMPORTED" ]]; then
         log "importing GNU keyring (a few thousand keys, this takes a moment)"
         gpg --batch --quiet --import "$GNU_KEYRING" 2>/dev/null || true
         count="$(gpg --batch --list-keys 2>/dev/null | grep -c '^pub' || true)"
-        [[ "$count" =~ ^[0-9]+$ && "$count" -ge 100 ]] && : > "${GNU_KEYRING}.imported"
+        [[ "$count" =~ ^[0-9]+$ && "$count" -ge 100 ]] && : > "$GNU_IMPORTED"
     fi
     # Without it nothing a GNU maintainer signed can be checked: a run that
     # could not fetch it is not a pass.
-    if [[ ! -f "${GNU_KEYRING}.imported" ]]; then
+    if [[ ! -f "$GNU_IMPORTED" ]]; then
         rm -f "$IMPORTED_MARK"
         if [[ "$STRICT" -eq 1 ]]; then
             err "the GNU keyring could not be fetched from ${CANONICAL_GNU}"
@@ -188,7 +192,7 @@ Run again: what was fetched is kept."
 
     count="$(gpg --batch --list-keys 2>/dev/null | grep -c '^pub' || true)"
     [[ "$count" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || count=0
-    if [[ -f "${GNU_KEYRING}.imported" && "$missing" -eq 0 ]]; then
+    if [[ -f "$GNU_IMPORTED" && "$missing" -eq 0 ]]; then
         printf '%s' "$count" > "$IMPORTED_MARK"
     else
         rm -f "$IMPORTED_MARK"