diff --git a/.github/workflows/audio.yml b/.github/workflows/audio.yml
index f2d7d49e..fd7ec4a5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/audio.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/audio.yml
@@ -102,7 +102,16 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           # The man-db index rebuild after dpkg is slow on hosted runners.
           sudo rm -f /var/lib/man-db/auto-update
-          (sudo apt-get update -qq && sudo apt-get install -y -qq --no-install-recommends ffmpeg) > "$RUNNER_TEMP/apt.log" 2>&1 &
+          # A mirror can stall for most of the job's time limit, and the next try usually gets a good one.
+          install_ffmpeg() {
+            for attempt in 1 2 3; do
+              timeout -k 10 180 sudo sh -c 'apt-get update -qq && apt-get install -y -qq --no-install-recommends ffmpeg' && return 0
+              echo "apt: attempt $attempt failed with exit code $?"
+              sudo dpkg --configure -a || true
+            done
+            return 1
+          }
+          install_ffmpeg > "$RUNNER_TEMP/apt.log" 2>&1 &
           apt=$!
           cargo test -p craft-audio --all-features --locked --no-run
           wait "$apt" || { cat "$RUNNER_TEMP/apt.log"; exit 1; }