diff --git a/.github/actions/build/action.yml b/.github/actions/build/action.yml
index bc8b08f3..8d9a0700 100644
--- a/.github/actions/build/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/build/action.yml
@@ -42,9 +42,7 @@ runs:
     - uses: actions/cache@v4
       with:
         key: deps-${{ inputs.preset }}-${{ hashFiles('./vcpkg.json') }}
-        path: |
-          ./vcpkg/packages
-          ./build/vcpkg_installed
+        path: ./vcpkg_cache
 
     - uses: lukka/run-cmake@v10.6 # pin version to avoid failed glibc dependency on ubuntu 20 runners. go back to @latest when ubuntu 22+ is adopted for runner os.
       if: runner.os != 'Linux'
diff --git a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/gh-release/entrypoint.sh b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/gh-release/entrypoint.sh
index f08a7eec..22399be5 100755
--- a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/gh-release/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/gh-release/entrypoint.sh
@@ -48,21 +48,20 @@ for SAFE in \
         git config --global --add safe.directory ${SAFE}
 done
 
-export VCPKG_ROOT="${PWD}/vcpkg"
-# ${VCPKG_ROOT}/packages  will have been populated from outside of the container, by a different user. tell git it's ok.
-git config --global --add safe.directory "${VCPKG_ROOT}"
+(
+  cd "${VCPKG_ROOT}"
+  git checkout master
+  git pull
+  ./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh -disableMetrics
+)
 
-if [ ! -d "${VCPKG_ROOT}/ports" ]; then
-    # the packages/ directory may have been populated from cache by now
-    # but git clone refuses to clone into a non-empty directory, so get
-    # vcpkg without using clone
-    git init "${VCPKG_ROOT}"
-    (cd "${VCPKG_ROOT}"; git remote add -f origin https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg; git checkout master)
-    "${VCPKG_ROOT}/bootstrap-vcpkg.sh" -disableMetrics
-fi
+# set VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES to the container-mapped path that the rest of the workflow is using
+export VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES="clear;file,${PWD}/vcpkg_cache"
 
 echo "======== here comes the env"
 env
+pwd
+ls
 echo "======== that is all"
 echo "======== here comes the df"
 df
diff --git a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-8/entrypoint.sh b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-8/entrypoint.sh
index ea83cf47..86e9575d 100755
--- a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-8/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-8/entrypoint.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ for SAFE in \
         git config --global --add safe.directory ${SAFE}
 done
 
+(
+  cd "${VCPKG_ROOT}"
+  git checkout master
+  git pull
+  ./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh -disableMetrics
+)
+
+# set VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES to the container-mapped path that the rest of the workflow is using
+export VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES="clear;file,${PWD}/vcpkg_cache"
+
 cmake -E make_directory ./build
 (
     [[ -d ./build ]] && rm -r ./build
diff --git a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-9/entrypoint.sh b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-9/entrypoint.sh
index aa991116..9ec1fffd 100755
--- a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-9/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-9/entrypoint.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ for SAFE in \
         git config --global --add safe.directory ${SAFE}
 done
 
+(
+  cd "${VCPKG_ROOT}"
+  git checkout master
+  git pull
+  ./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh -disableMetrics
+)
+
+# set VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES to the container-mapped path that the rest of the workflow is using
+export VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES="clear;file,${PWD}/vcpkg_cache"
+
 (
     [[ -d ./build ]] && rm -r ./build
     cmake -E make_directory ./build  
diff --git a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-20.04/entrypoint.sh b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-20.04/entrypoint.sh
index 1cb65f8f..cc9b835b 100755
--- a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-20.04/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-20.04/entrypoint.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ for SAFE in \
         git config --global --add safe.directory ${SAFE}
 done
 
+(
+  cd "${VCPKG_ROOT}"
+  git checkout master
+  git pull
+  ./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh -disableMetrics
+)
+
+# set VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES to the container-mapped path that the rest of the workflow is using
+export VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES="clear;file,${PWD}/vcpkg_cache"
+
 [[ -d ./build ]] && rm -r ./build
 cmake \
     -E make_directory \
diff --git a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-22.04/entrypoint.sh b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-22.04/entrypoint.sh
index 0a1285c3..279e73fd 100755
--- a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-22.04/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-22.04/entrypoint.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ for SAFE in \
         git config --global --add safe.directory ${SAFE}
 done
 
+(
+  cd "${VCPKG_ROOT}"
+  git checkout master
+  git pull
+  ./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh -disableMetrics
+)
+
+# set VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES to the container-mapped path that the rest of the workflow is using
+export VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES="clear;file,${PWD}/vcpkg_cache"
+
 [[ -d ./build ]] && rm -r ./build
 cmake \
     -E make_directory \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cmake.yml b/.github/workflows/cmake.yml
index ec15998b..988c4363 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cmake.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cmake.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     name: build ${{ matrix.preset }}
     env:
-      "_VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES": "clear;file,${{ github.workspace }}/vcpkg_cache,readwrite"
+      "VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES": "clear;file,${{ github.workspace }}/vcpkg_cache,readwrite"
 
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cpack.yml b/.github/workflows/cpack.yml
index 0cd36df1..f207e3aa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cpack.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cpack.yml
@@ -47,14 +47,13 @@ jobs:
     needs: set_matrix
     name: ${{ matrix.arch.rpm }} ${{ matrix.distro.name }} ${{ matrix.distro.version }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
-    # build image name it from matrix values name:version unless override container is specified 
-    container: ${{ matrix.distro.container || format('{0}:{1}', matrix.distro.name, matrix.distro.version) }} 
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix: ${{ fromJSON(needs.set_matrix.outputs.matrix) }}
     env:
       ZITI_DEB_TEST_REPO: ${{ vars.ZITI_DEB_TEST_REPO || 'zitipax-openziti-deb-test' }}
       ZITI_RPM_TEST_REPO: ${{ vars.ZITI_RPM_TEST_REPO || 'zitipax-openziti-rpm-test' }}
+      "VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES": "clear;file,${{ github.workspace }}/vcpkg_cache,readwrite"
     steps:
       - name: Debug action
         uses: hmarr/debug-action@v3