diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 04cdc00a9f9..b1e5f15e869 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,20 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+  ext-test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout source code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Install Rust stable toolchain
+        run: |
+          curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh -s -- -y --profile=minimal --default-toolchain stable
+          rustup override set stable
+      - name: Run externalized tests
+        run: |
+          cd ext-functional-test-demo
+          cargo test --verbose --color always
+          cargo test --verbose --color always --features test-broken
   build:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
diff --git a/ci/ci-tests.sh b/ci/ci-tests.sh
index 90283993a08..b7e09246ae3 100755
--- a/ci/ci-tests.sh
+++ b/ci/ci-tests.sh
@@ -142,13 +142,6 @@ RUSTFLAGS="$RUSTFLAGS --cfg=ldk_test_vectors" cargo test -p lightning --verbose
 # check that compile with no_std and serde works in lightning-invoice
 cargo test -p lightning-invoice --verbose --color always --no-default-features --features serde
 
-echo -e "\n\nRunning externalized integration tests"
-pushd ext-functional-test-demo
-cargo test --verbose --color always
-cargo test --verbose --color always --features test-broken
-[ "$CI_MINIMIZE_DISK_USAGE" != "" ] && cargo clean
-popd
-
 echo -e "\n\nTesting no_std build on a downstream no-std crate"
 # check no-std compatibility across dependencies
 pushd no-std-check
@@ -156,13 +149,6 @@ cargo check --verbose --color always --features lightning-transaction-sync
 [ "$CI_MINIMIZE_DISK_USAGE" != "" ] && cargo clean
 popd
 
-echo -e "\n\Running functional tests from outside the workspace"
-pushd ext-functional-test-demo
-[ "$RUSTC_MINOR_VERSION" -lt 65 ] && cargo update -p regex --precise "1.9.6" --verbose
-cargo test --color always
-[ "$CI_MINIMIZE_DISK_USAGE" != "" ] && cargo clean
-popd
-
 # Test that we can build downstream code with only the "release pins".
 pushd msrv-no-dev-deps-check
 PIN_RELEASE_DEPS