diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index 379b75b871..e285eaafa7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -499,6 +499,8 @@ jobs:
 
   mingw-w64-standalone-downloads:
     name: 'dl-mingw, CM ${{ matrix.ver }}-${{ matrix.env }} ${{ matrix.name }}'
+    needs:
+      - build-cache
     runs-on: windows-2022
     timeout-minutes: 15
     defaults:
@@ -647,6 +649,16 @@ jobs:
           PATH="/d/my-cache/${MATRIX_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
           cmake --build bld --target testdeps
 
+      - name: 'cache perl packages'
+        if: ${{ matrix.tflags != 'skipall' && matrix.tflags != 'skiprun' }}
+        uses: actions/cache@0400d5f644dc74513175e3cd8d07132dd4860809 # v4
+        id: cache-perl-win32-pkgs
+        env:
+          cache-name: cache-perl-win32-pkgs
+        with:
+          path: C:\perl-win32-pkgs
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}
+
       - name: 'install test prereqs perl'
         if: ${{ matrix.tflags != 'skipall' && matrix.tflags != 'skiprun' }}
         timeout-minutes: 5