diff --git a/.github/workflows/mkosi.yml b/.github/workflows/mkosi.yml
index a71ae3fd39..f9df0a22ba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mkosi.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mkosi.yml
@@ -78,10 +78,14 @@ jobs:
     - uses: actions/checkout@9bb56186c3b09b4f86b1c65136769dd318469633
     - uses: systemd/mkosi@1445b389750af22756c0fde6facc1f2f343340b4
 
+    # Freeing up disk space with rm -rf can take multiple minutes. Since we don't need the extra free space
+    # immediately, we remove the files in the background. However, we first move them to a different location
+    # so that nothing tries to use anything in these directories anymore while we're busy deleting them.
     - name: Free disk space
       run: |
-        sudo rm -rf /usr/local
-        sudo rm -rf /opt/hostedtoolcache
+        sudo mv /usr/local /usr/local.trash
+        sudo mv /opt/hostedtoolcache /opt/hostedtoolcache.trash
+        sudo systemd-run rm -rf /usr/local.trash /opt/hostedtoolcache.trash
 
     - name: Configure
       run: |