diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f8cd20d06..55bbd0dab 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -509,9 +509,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
-      - name: Free runner disk for PostgreSQL cargo tests
-        if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
-        uses: ./.github/actions/free-runner-disk
       - name: Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)
         if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8 # stable
@@ -567,9 +564,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
-      - name: Free runner disk for PostgreSQL cargo tests
-        if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
-        uses: ./.github/actions/free-runner-disk
       - name: Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)
         if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8 # stable
@@ -625,9 +619,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
-      - name: Free runner disk for PostgreSQL cargo tests
-        if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
-        uses: ./.github/actions/free-runner-disk
       - name: Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)
         if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8 # stable
@@ -683,9 +674,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
-      - name: Free runner disk for PostgreSQL cargo tests
-        if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
-        uses: ./.github/actions/free-runner-disk
       - name: Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)
         if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8 # stable
@@ -741,9 +729,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
-      - name: Free runner disk for PostgreSQL cargo tests
-        if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
-        uses: ./.github/actions/free-runner-disk
       - name: Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)
         if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8 # stable
@@ -839,10 +824,6 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
         run: tools/buck/install_dotslash.sh
 
-      - name: Free runner disk for PostgreSQL Buck2 tests
-        if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
-        uses: ./.github/actions/free-runner-disk
-
       - name: Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)
         if: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8 # stable
@@ -990,11 +971,6 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
         run: ../tools/buck/install_dotslash.sh
 
-      - name: Free runner disk for Rust backend
-        id: free-disk
-        if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
-        uses: ./.github/actions/free-runner-disk
-
       - name: Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)
         id: rust
         if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.preflight.outputs.run_heavy == 'true' }}
diff --git a/scripts/check-ci-preflight.mjs b/scripts/check-ci-preflight.mjs
index 0748e49a9..5db6d7d69 100644
--- a/scripts/check-ci-preflight.mjs
+++ b/scripts/check-ci-preflight.mjs
@@ -1050,9 +1050,8 @@ const requiredJobActionContracts = Object.freeze({
   ],
   "backend": [
     actionStep(0, "Checkout", "actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0", {"persist-credentials":false}, { id: "checkout" }),
-    actionStep(3, "Free runner disk for Rust backend", "./.github/actions/free-runner-disk", { if: backendIndependentCondition, id: "free-disk" }),
-    actionStep(4, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1","components":"rustfmt, clippy"}, { if: backendIndependentCondition, id: "rust" }),
-    actionStep(5, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":"${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}"}, { if: backendIndependentCondition, id: "rust-cache" }),
+    actionStep(3, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1","components":"rustfmt, clippy"}, { if: backendIndependentCondition, id: "rust" }),
+    actionStep(4, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":"${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}"}, { if: backendIndependentCondition, id: "rust-cache" }),
   ],
   "kubernetes-manifests": [
     actionStep(1, "Checkout", "actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0", {"fetch-depth":0}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
@@ -1073,38 +1072,32 @@ const requiredJobActionContracts = Object.freeze({
   ],
   "company-conformance": [
     actionStep(1, "Checkout", "actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0", {"persist-credentials":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(3, "Free runner disk for PostgreSQL Buck2 tests", "./.github/actions/free-runner-disk", { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(4, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(3, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
   ],
   "postgres-reachability-app": [
     actionStep(1, "Checkout", "actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0", {"persist-credentials":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(2, "Free runner disk for PostgreSQL cargo tests", "./.github/actions/free-runner-disk", { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(3, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(4, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(2, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(3, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
   ],
   "postgres-reachability-platform": [
     actionStep(1, "Checkout", "actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0", {"persist-credentials":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(2, "Free runner disk for PostgreSQL cargo tests", "./.github/actions/free-runner-disk", { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(3, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(4, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(2, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(3, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
   ],
   "postgres-reachability-ontology": [
     actionStep(1, "Checkout", "actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0", {"persist-credentials":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(2, "Free runner disk for PostgreSQL cargo tests", "./.github/actions/free-runner-disk", { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(3, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(4, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(2, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(3, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
   ],
   "postgres-reachability-domain-a": [
     actionStep(1, "Checkout", "actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0", {"persist-credentials":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(2, "Free runner disk for PostgreSQL cargo tests", "./.github/actions/free-runner-disk", { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(3, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(4, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(2, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(3, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
   ],
   "postgres-reachability-domain-b": [
     actionStep(1, "Checkout", "actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0", {"persist-credentials":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(2, "Free runner disk for PostgreSQL cargo tests", "./.github/actions/free-runner-disk", { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(3, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
-    actionStep(4, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(2, "Install Rust toolchain (pinned via rust-toolchain.toml)", "dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8", {"toolchain":"1.97.1"}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
+    actionStep(3, "Cache Rust dependencies + build artifacts", "Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4", {"workspaces":"backend","shared-key":"backend-cargo","cache-all-crates":"true","save-if":false}, { if: runHeavyCondition }),
   ],
   "postgres-domain-reachability": [
   ],
diff --git a/scripts/check-ci-preflight.test.mjs b/scripts/check-ci-preflight.test.mjs
index 442b15f3b..1208e4cd9 100644
--- a/scripts/check-ci-preflight.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/check-ci-preflight.test.mjs
@@ -692,20 +692,24 @@ describe("CI preflight contract", () => {
   });
 
   it("rejects every setup-action condition and soft-failure bypass", () => {
+    // 2026-08-18: the Free runner disk step was removed from every ci.yml job
+    // (measured: 87G already free before it ran, 110G after, and zero ENOSPC in
+    // any log). These counts step down by exactly one per job that carried it,
+    // and by no more.
     const requiredActionStepCounts = {
       preflight: 3,
       "domain-unit": 3,
-      backend: 4,
+      backend: 3,
       "kubernetes-manifests": 1,
       "repo-gates": 2,
       "api-contract": 2,
       "generated-face-authority": 4,
-      "company-conformance": 3,
-      "postgres-reachability-app": 4,
-      "postgres-reachability-platform": 4,
-      "postgres-reachability-ontology": 4,
-      "postgres-reachability-domain-a": 4,
-      "postgres-reachability-domain-b": 4,
+      "company-conformance": 2,
+      "postgres-reachability-app": 3,
+      "postgres-reachability-platform": 3,
+      "postgres-reachability-ontology": 3,
+      "postgres-reachability-domain-a": 3,
+      "postgres-reachability-domain-b": 3,
     };
     const workflowModel = yaml.load(workflow);
     const bypasses = [
@@ -736,8 +740,11 @@ describe("CI preflight contract", () => {
     // 2026-08-18: dev-up-smoke (7 run steps, 4 setup actions) moved to Nightly,
     // so these ratchets step down by exactly its step counts and no more. A
     // shrink that does NOT match a job leaving ci.yml is still a regression.
-    assert.equal(actionStepCount, 42, "required and planned job setup-action coverage must not shrink");
-    assert.equal(mutationCount, 84, "setup-action bypass matrix must not shrink");
+    // 2026-08-18: -7, exactly the Free runner disk steps removed from ci.yml
+    // (5 postgres shards + backend + company-conformance) and no more.
+    assert.equal(actionStepCount, 35, "required and planned job setup-action coverage must not shrink");
+    // 2026-08-18: -14 = 7 removed setup actions x 2 bypass mutations each.
+    assert.equal(mutationCount, 70, "setup-action bypass matrix must not shrink");
   });
 
   it("locks every setup action's identity, inputs, totality, and interleaving", () => {
@@ -812,7 +819,7 @@ describe("CI preflight contract", () => {
       }
     }
 
-    assert.equal(mutationCount, 277, "setup-action identity/input/interleaving matrix must not shrink");
+    assert.equal(mutationCount, 249, "setup-action identity/input/interleaving matrix must not shrink");
   });
 
   it("locks the candidate-controlled local free-runner-disk action body", () => {