diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 98a6e10a6..3e1cd42df 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           set -euxo pipefail
           find test/.tmp -name 'vmlinuz-*' -print0 | xargs -t -0 \
-            cargo xtask integration-test vm --cache-dir test/.tmp --github-api-token ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+            cargo xtask integration-test vm --cache-dir test/.tmp
 
   # Provides a single status check for the entire build workflow.
   # This is used for merge automation, like Mergify, since GH actions
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index f02909064..34558d177 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ edition = "2024"
 # them to do that, but in the meantime we need to be careful.
 [workspace.dependencies]
 anyhow = { version = "1", default-features = false }
-base64 = { version = "0.22.1", default-features = false }
 assert_matches = { version = "1.5.0", default-features = false }
 async-io = { version = "2.0", default-features = false }
 bindgen = { version = "0.71", default-features = false }
@@ -82,7 +81,6 @@ netns-rs = { version = "0.1", default-features = false }
 nix = { version = "0.29.0", default-features = false }
 num_enum = { version = "0.7", default-features = false }
 object = { version = "0.36", default-features = false }
-octorust = { version = "0.9.0", default-features = false }
 once_cell = { version = "1.20.1", default-features = false }
 proc-macro2 = { version = "1", default-features = false }
 proc-macro2-diagnostics = { version = "0.10.1", default-features = false }
@@ -90,6 +88,7 @@ public-api = { version = "0.44.0", default-features = false }
 quote = { version = "1", default-features = false }
 rand = { version = "0.9", default-features = false }
 rbpf = { version = "0.3.0", default-features = false }
+reqwest = { version = "0.12", default-features = false }
 rustdoc-json = { version = "0.9.0", default-features = false }
 rustup-toolchain = { version = "0.1.5", default-features = false }
 rustversion = { version = "1.0.0", default-features = false }
diff --git a/xtask/Cargo.toml b/xtask/Cargo.toml
index ac64c5a8d..91b123889 100644
--- a/xtask/Cargo.toml
+++ b/xtask/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,16 +12,15 @@ edition.workspace = true
 [dependencies]
 anyhow = { workspace = true, features = ["std"] }
 aya-tool = { path = "../aya-tool", version = "0.1.0", default-features = false }
-base64 = { workspace = true, features = ["std"] }
 cargo_metadata = { workspace = true }
 clap = { workspace = true, features = ["derive"] }
 dialoguer = { workspace = true }
 diff = { workspace = true }
 indoc = { workspace = true }
-octorust = { workspace = true, features = ["rustls-tls"] }
 proc-macro2 = { workspace = true }
 public-api = { workspace = true }
 quote = { workspace = true }
+reqwest = { workspace = true, features = ["rustls-tls"] }
 rustdoc-json = { workspace = true }
 rustup-toolchain = { workspace = true }
 syn = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/xtask/src/run.rs b/xtask/src/run.rs
index a54868398..37d136f36 100644
--- a/xtask/src/run.rs
+++ b/xtask/src/run.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 use anyhow::{Context as _, Result, anyhow, bail};
-use base64::engine::Engine as _;
 use cargo_metadata::{Artifact, CompilerMessage, Message, Target};
 use clap::Parser;
 use xtask::{AYA_BUILD_INTEGRATION_BPF, Errors};
@@ -29,12 +28,6 @@ enum Environment {
         #[clap(long)]
         cache_dir: PathBuf,
 
-        /// The Github API token to use if network requests to Github are made.
-        ///
-        /// This may be required if Github rate limits are exceeded.
-        #[clap(long)]
-        github_api_token: Option<String>,
-
         /// The kernel images to use.
         ///
         /// You can download some images with:
@@ -180,7 +173,6 @@ pub fn run(opts: Options) -> Result<()> {
         }
         Environment::VM {
             cache_dir,
-            github_api_token,
             kernel_image,
         } => {
             // The user has asked us to run the tests on a VM. This is involved; strap in.
@@ -206,31 +198,17 @@ pub fn run(opts: Options) -> Result<()> {
                 .try_exists()
                 .context("failed to check existence of gen_init_cpio")?
             {
-                // TODO(https://github.com/oxidecomputer/third-party-api-clients/issues/96): Use ETag-based caching.
-                let client = octorust::Client::new(
-                    String::from("aya-xtask-integration-test-run"),
-                    github_api_token.map(octorust::auth::Credentials::Token),
-                )?;
-                let octorust::Response {
-                    status: _,
-                    headers: _,
-                    body: octorust::types::ContentFile { mut content, .. },
-                } = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
+                let content = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
                     .enable_all()
                     .build()
                     .unwrap()
-                    .block_on(client.repos().get_content_file(
-                        "torvalds",
-                        "linux",
-                        "usr/gen_init_cpio.c",
-                        "master",
-                    ))
+                    .block_on(async {
+                        reqwest::get("https://github.com/torvalds/linux/raw/refs/heads/master/usr/gen_init_cpio.c")
+                        .await?
+                        .bytes()
+                        .await
+                    })
                     .context("failed to download gen_init_cpio.c")?;
-                // Github very helpfully wraps their base64 at 10 columns /s.
-                content.retain(|c| !c.is_whitespace());
-                let content = base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD
-                    .decode(content)
-                    .context("failed to decode gen_init_cpio.c")?;
 
                 let mut clang = Command::new("clang");
                 clang