diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-deltalite.yml b/.github/workflows/build-deltalite.yml
index 18ac80d32fb0..7d1fe7cd5a82 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-deltalite.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-deltalite.yml
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ jobs:
 
         steps:
             - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
+              with:
+                  sparse-checkout: |
+                      /.gitignore
+                      rust/
+                      proto/
+                  sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false
 
             - uses: actions/setup-python@a309ff8b426b58ec0e2a45f0f869d46889d02405 # v6.2.0
               with: