diff --git a/docs/website/05-cicd/github-actions.md b/docs/website/05-cicd/github-actions.md
index ec80f02ea..0ceaacc15 100644
--- a/docs/website/05-cicd/github-actions.md
+++ b/docs/website/05-cicd/github-actions.md
@@ -263,3 +263,14 @@ CheckoutAction = "releases/v1"      // error: ambiguous, names neither form
 :::note
 `actions/cache@v5` and later run on the node24 runtime and require a self-hosted runner of at least `2.327.1`. Set `CacheAction = "v4"` if your runners are older.
 :::
+
+### Pinning the .NET SDK
+
+By default the setup step reads the SDK from `global.json` at the repo root (`global-json-file: global.json`). Set `SetupDotNetVersions` to emit `dotnet-version` instead. That covers a `global.json` kept in a subfolder, and pinning an exact SDK stops self-hosted runners that share one dotnet directory from all installing each new patch at the same time. One value is written inline, several as a `|` block; `global-json-file` is dropped. Left empty, the output is unchanged.
+
+```csharp title="Build.cs"
+[GitHubActions(
+    // ...
+    SetupDotNetVersions = new[] { "8.0.x", "10.0.103" })]
+class Build : FalloutBuild { /* ... */ }
+```
diff --git a/src/Fallout.Common/CI/GitHubActions/Configuration/GitHubActionsRunStep.cs b/src/Fallout.Common/CI/GitHubActions/Configuration/GitHubActionsRunStep.cs
index 28a4b48da..1fb42b989 100644
--- a/src/Fallout.Common/CI/GitHubActions/Configuration/GitHubActionsRunStep.cs
+++ b/src/Fallout.Common/CI/GitHubActions/Configuration/GitHubActionsRunStep.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
 using Fallout.Common.Utilities;
 using Fallout.Common.Utilities.Collections;
 
@@ -19,6 +20,13 @@ public string SetupDotNetAction
             GitHubActionsDefaults.SetupDotNetAction, value, $"{nameof(GitHubActionsRunStep)}.{nameof(SetupDotNetAction)}");
     } = GitHubActionsDefaults.SetupDotNetAction;
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// SDK versions to install, emitted as <c>dotnet-version</c> in place of <c>global-json-file</c>. One value
+    /// is written inline, several as a <c>|</c> block. Null, empty, or only blank entries keep
+    /// <c>global-json-file: global.json</c>.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string[] SetupDotNetVersions { get; set; }
+
     public string[] InvokedTargets { get; set; }
 
     public Dictionary<string, string> Imports { get; set; }
@@ -32,7 +40,21 @@ public override void Write(CustomFileWriter writer)
             writer.WriteLine("with:");
             using (writer.Indent())
             {
-                writer.WriteLine("global-json-file: global.json");
+                var versions = (SetupDotNetVersions ?? [])
+                    .Where(x => !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(x))
+                    .Select(x => x.Trim())
+                    .ToArray();
+
+                if (versions.Length == 0)
+                    writer.WriteLine("global-json-file: global.json");
+                else if (versions.Length == 1)
+                    writer.WriteLine($"dotnet-version: {versions[0]}");
+                else
+                {
+                    writer.WriteLine("dotnet-version: |");
+                    using (writer.Indent())
+                        versions.ForEach(x => writer.WriteLine(x));
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Fallout.Common/CI/GitHubActions/GitHubActionsAttribute.cs b/src/Fallout.Common/CI/GitHubActions/GitHubActionsAttribute.cs
index f9ce74091..2452263e3 100644
--- a/src/Fallout.Common/CI/GitHubActions/GitHubActionsAttribute.cs
+++ b/src/Fallout.Common/CI/GitHubActions/GitHubActionsAttribute.cs
@@ -251,6 +251,14 @@ public string CheckoutRef
     /// </summary>
     public string SetupDotNetAction { get; set; } = GitHubActionsDefaults.SetupDotNetAction;
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// SDK versions the generated <c>actions/setup-dotnet</c> step installs, emitted as <c>dotnet-version</c>
+    /// (one value inline, several as a <c>|</c> block). Use it when <c>global.json</c> isn't at the repo root,
+    /// or to pin an exact SDK so runners sharing one dotnet directory don't all install each new patch at once.
+    /// Empty (the default) keeps <c>global-json-file: global.json</c>.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string[] SetupDotNetVersions { get; set; } = [];
+
     /// <summary>
     /// The <c>actions/upload-artifact</c> reference the generated workflow uses; same forms as
     /// <see cref="CheckoutAction"/>.
@@ -354,6 +362,7 @@ private GitHubActionsStep[] GetSteps(IReadOnlyCollection<ExecutableTarget> relev
         var run = new GitHubActionsRunStep
         {
             SetupDotNetAction = SetupDotNetAction,
+            SetupDotNetVersions = SetupDotNetVersions,
             InvokedTargets = InvokedTargets,
             Imports = GetImports().ToDictionary(x => x.Key, x => x.Value)
         };
diff --git a/tests/Fallout.Common.Specs/CI/ConfigurationGenerationSpecs.Test_testName=setup-dotnet-version_attribute=GitHubActionsAttribute.verified.txt b/tests/Fallout.Common.Specs/CI/ConfigurationGenerationSpecs.Test_testName=setup-dotnet-version_attribute=GitHubActionsAttribute.verified.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..765c94703
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Fallout.Common.Specs/CI/ConfigurationGenerationSpecs.Test_testName=setup-dotnet-version_attribute=GitHubActionsAttribute.verified.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# <auto-generated>
+#
+#     This code was generated.
+#
+#     - To turn off auto-generation set:
+#
+#         [TestGitHubActions (AutoGenerate = false)]
+#
+#     - To trigger manual generation invoke:
+#
+#         fallout --generate-configuration GitHubActions_test --host GitHubActions
+#
+# </auto-generated>
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+name: test
+
+on: [push]
+
+jobs:
+  ubuntu-latest:
+    name: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+      - name: 'Cache: .fallout/temp, ~/.nuget/packages'
+        uses: actions/cache@v6
+        with:
+          path: |
+            .fallout/temp
+            ~/.nuget/packages
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('**/global.json', '**/*.csproj', '**/Directory.Packages.props') }}
+      - name: 'Setup: .NET SDK'
+        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v6
+        with:
+          dotnet-version: 10.0.103
+      - name: 'Restore: dotnet tools'
+        run: dotnet tool restore
+      - name: 'Run: Test'
+        run: dotnet fallout Test
+      - name: 'Publish: src'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: src
+          path: src
+      - name: 'Publish: test-results'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: test-results
+          path: output/test-results
+      - name: 'Publish: coverage-report.zip'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: coverage-report.zip
+          path: output/coverage-report.zip
diff --git a/tests/Fallout.Common.Specs/CI/ConfigurationGenerationSpecs.Test_testName=setup-dotnet-versions_attribute=GitHubActionsAttribute.verified.txt b/tests/Fallout.Common.Specs/CI/ConfigurationGenerationSpecs.Test_testName=setup-dotnet-versions_attribute=GitHubActionsAttribute.verified.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0d545051
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Fallout.Common.Specs/CI/ConfigurationGenerationSpecs.Test_testName=setup-dotnet-versions_attribute=GitHubActionsAttribute.verified.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# <auto-generated>
+#
+#     This code was generated.
+#
+#     - To turn off auto-generation set:
+#
+#         [TestGitHubActions (AutoGenerate = false)]
+#
+#     - To trigger manual generation invoke:
+#
+#         fallout --generate-configuration GitHubActions_test --host GitHubActions
+#
+# </auto-generated>
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+name: test
+
+on: [push]
+
+jobs:
+  ubuntu-latest:
+    name: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+      - name: 'Cache: .fallout/temp, ~/.nuget/packages'
+        uses: actions/cache@v6
+        with:
+          path: |
+            .fallout/temp
+            ~/.nuget/packages
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('**/global.json', '**/*.csproj', '**/Directory.Packages.props') }}
+      - name: 'Setup: .NET SDK'
+        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v6
+        with:
+          dotnet-version: |
+            8.0.x
+            10.0.103
+      - name: 'Restore: dotnet tools'
+        run: dotnet tool restore
+      - name: 'Run: Test'
+        run: dotnet fallout Test
+      - name: 'Publish: src'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: src
+          path: src
+      - name: 'Publish: test-results'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: test-results
+          path: output/test-results
+      - name: 'Publish: coverage-report.zip'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: coverage-report.zip
+          path: output/coverage-report.zip
diff --git a/tests/Fallout.Common.Specs/CI/ConfigurationGenerationSpecs.cs b/tests/Fallout.Common.Specs/CI/ConfigurationGenerationSpecs.cs
index 6100d5a76..4ba326106 100644
--- a/tests/Fallout.Common.Specs/CI/ConfigurationGenerationSpecs.cs
+++ b/tests/Fallout.Common.Specs/CI/ConfigurationGenerationSpecs.cs
@@ -612,6 +612,29 @@ public class TestBuild : FalloutBuild
                 }
             );
 
+            // Pinned SDK versions replace global-json-file; one is written inline, several as a block.
+            yield return
+            (
+                "setup-dotnet-version",
+                new TestGitHubActionsAttribute(GitHubActionsImage.UbuntuLatest)
+                {
+                    On = new[] { GitHubActionsTrigger.Push },
+                    InvokedTargets = new[] { nameof(Test) },
+                    SetupDotNetVersions = new[] { "10.0.103" }
+                }
+            );
+
+            yield return
+            (
+                "setup-dotnet-versions",
+                new TestGitHubActionsAttribute(GitHubActionsImage.UbuntuLatest)
+                {
+                    On = new[] { GitHubActionsTrigger.Push },
+                    InvokedTargets = new[] { nameof(Test) },
+                    SetupDotNetVersions = new[] { "8.0.x", "10.0.103" }
+                }
+            );
+
             // Every emitted action is overridable, in each accepted form: a bare ref appended to the default
             // action name, a complete reference, a SHA pin carrying its version as a trailing comment, and a
             // fork. Pack is invoked because it produces artifacts, so the upload step actually renders.