diff --git a/.github/actionlint.yaml b/.github/actionlint.yaml
index ff93068efb..73b6f87e6f 100644
--- a/.github/actionlint.yaml
+++ b/.github/actionlint.yaml
@@ -30,4 +30,15 @@ name-pattern:
   # Allows docker image names
   - "uses: docker://.*"
   # Block actions/checkout@v4 - require sha pinning
-  #- "!uses: actions/checkout@v[0-9]+"
\ No newline at end of file
+  #- "!uses: actions/checkout@v[0-9]+"
+
+# DEVOPS-1029: actionlint (v1.7.x) has no schema yet for the GitHub Actions
+# parallel-steps feature (background:/wait:, GA 2026-06-25). It flags the
+# background: keys and the wait-only barrier step in push-head-images.yaml.
+# Suppress exactly those two messages, only for that one file, until actionlint
+# ships native support; then delete this block.
+paths:
+  .github/workflows/push-head-images.yaml:
+    ignore:
+      - 'unexpected key "background" for step'
+      - 'step must run script with "run" section or run action with "uses" section'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/push-head-images.yaml b/.github/workflows/push-head-images.yaml
index 3564ae711c..4ca70accc7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/push-head-images.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/push-head-images.yaml
@@ -64,26 +64,44 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
+      # DEVOPS-1029: these setup steps are independent of one another, so they
+      # run concurrently. Each is backgrounded with an id, and the wait barrier
+      # below blocks until all of them finish, guaranteeing every tool is on
+      # PATH before goreleaser builds. The registry login stays serial to avoid
+      # a ~/.docker/config.json write race.
       - name: Set up Go
+        id: setup-go
+        background: true
         uses: actions/setup-go@v6
         with:
           cache: false
           go-version-file: go.mod
 
       - name: Install just
+        id: setup-just
+        background: true
         uses: extractions/setup-just@v1
 
       - name: Set up QEMU
+        id: setup-qemu
+        background: true
         uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
 
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        id: setup-buildx
+        background: true
         uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
 
       - name: Setup Cosgin
+        id: setup-cosign
+        background: true
         uses: sigstore/cosign-installer@main
         with:
           cosign-release: "v2.2.3"
 
+      - name: Wait for setup tools
+        wait: [setup-go, setup-just, setup-qemu, setup-buildx, setup-cosign]
+
       - name: Log in to GitHub Container Registry
         uses: docker/login-action@v3
         with: