diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 8c21d0f45..87936c584 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -172,16 +172,23 @@ jobs:
         run: npm run test:security
 
       # Install + slow lanes only on main-branch push (not PR CI) so PRs stay fast.
+      # Windows is excluded from the install lane: `npm install -g <tarball>` runs
+      # 7× per release-tarball-smoke.install.test.cjs invocation (1× before-hook
+      # + 6× per-test) and each takes 60–90 s on windows-latest (NTFS + Defender),
+      # so the lane alone consumes ~10 min and blows the 15-min job budget after
+      # earlier steps. Linux + macOS coverage stays here; Windows tarball install
+      # coverage is provided by the weekly windows-compat workflow.
       - name: Run install tests
-        if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+        if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && matrix.os != 'windows-latest'
         shell: bash
         run: npm run test:install
 
       - name: Run slow tests
-        if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+        if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && matrix.os != 'windows-latest'
         shell: bash
         run: npm run test:slow
 
+
   # Dedicated coverage job. Runs only on ubuntu/Node 24 (the canonical lane)
   # because c8 coverage of one suite on one OS is enough signal — running it
   # across the full matrix would 9x the cost for no extra coverage data.
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 544809ac1..3dd9a0694 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -2043,9 +2043,9 @@
       "license": "ISC"
     },
     "node_modules/ws": {
-      "version": "8.20.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ws/-/ws-8.20.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-sAt8BhgNbzCtgGbt2OxmpuryO63ZoDk/sqaB/znQm94T4fCEsy/yV+7CdC1kJhOU9lboAEU7R3kquuycDoibVA==",
+      "version": "8.20.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ws/-/ws-8.20.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-It4dO0K5v//JtTXuPkfEOaI3uUN87iYPnqo/ZzqCoG3g8uhA66QUMs/SrM0YK7/NAu+r4LMh/9dq2A7k+rHs+w==",
       "license": "MIT",
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=10.0.0"
diff --git a/sdk/package-lock.json b/sdk/package-lock.json
index 07056e4f2..25c646f65 100644
--- a/sdk/package-lock.json
+++ b/sdk/package-lock.json
@@ -2496,9 +2496,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/ws": {
-      "version": "8.20.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ws/-/ws-8.20.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-sAt8BhgNbzCtgGbt2OxmpuryO63ZoDk/sqaB/znQm94T4fCEsy/yV+7CdC1kJhOU9lboAEU7R3kquuycDoibVA==",
+      "version": "8.20.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ws/-/ws-8.20.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-It4dO0K5v//JtTXuPkfEOaI3uUN87iYPnqo/ZzqCoG3g8uhA66QUMs/SrM0YK7/NAu+r4LMh/9dq2A7k+rHs+w==",
       "license": "MIT",
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=10.0.0"