diff --git a/.github/workflows/cygwin.yml b/.github/workflows/cygwin.yml
index 44d575751c..1a16f0aa77 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cygwin.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cygwin.yml
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           platform: ${{ matrix.platform }}
           # https://cygwin.com/cgi-bin2/package-grep.cgi
-          packages: autoconf libtool ${{ matrix.build }} gcc-core gcc-g++ binutils make libssl-devel zlib-devel libbrotli-devel libnghttp2-devel libpsl-devel libssh2-devel
+          packages: autoconf libtool ${{ matrix.build }} gcc-core gcc-g++ binutils make ninja libssl-devel zlib-devel libbrotli-devel libnghttp2-devel libpsl-devel libssh2-devel
           site: https://mirrors.kernel.org/sourceware/cygwin/
 
       - name: 'autotools autoreconf'
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ jobs:
         timeout-minutes: 5
         run: |
           PATH="/usr/bin:$(cygpath "${SYSTEMROOT}")/System32"
-          cmake -B bld ${options} \
+          cmake -B bld -G Ninja ${options} \
             -DCMAKE_UNITY_BUILD=ON \
             -DCURL_WERROR=ON \
             -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=ON \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index 9b511e95be..2a259ba156 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -69,14 +69,14 @@ jobs:
         with:
           msystem: ${{ matrix.sys }}
           # https://packages.msys2.org/search
-          install: gcc ${{ matrix.build }} make openssl-devel zlib-devel brotli-devel libnghttp2-devel libpsl-devel libssh2-devel
+          install: gcc ${{ matrix.build }} ${{ matrix.build == 'autotools' && 'make' || 'ninja' }} openssl-devel zlib-devel brotli-devel libnghttp2-devel libpsl-devel libssh2-devel
       - uses: msys2/setup-msys2@ddf331adaebd714795f1042345e6ca57bd66cea8 # v2
         if: ${{ matrix.sys != 'msys' }}
         with:
           msystem: ${{ matrix.sys }}
           install: >-
             mingw-w64-${{ matrix.env }}-cc
-            mingw-w64-${{ matrix.env }}-${{ matrix.build }} make
+            mingw-w64-${{ matrix.env }}-${{ matrix.build }} ${{ matrix.build == 'autotools' && 'make' || '' }}
             mingw-w64-${{ matrix.env }}-openssl
             mingw-w64-${{ matrix.env }}-libssh2
             mingw-w64-${{ matrix.env }}-libpsl
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ jobs:
           fi
           [ '${{ matrix.type }}' = 'Debug' ] && options+=' -DCMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_DEBUG='
           [ '${{ matrix.type }}' = 'Release' ] && options+=' -DCMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_RELEASE='
-          cmake -B bld ${options} \
+          cmake -B bld -G Ninja ${options} \
             "-DCMAKE_C_FLAGS=${cflags}" \
             "-DCMAKE_RC_COMPILE_OBJECT=${rcopts}" \
             '-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.type }}' \
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ jobs:
       TRIPLET: 'x86_64-w64-mingw32'
     steps:
       - name: 'install packages'
-        run: sudo apt-get --quiet 2 --option Dpkg::Use-Pty=0 install mingw-w64
+        run: sudo apt-get --quiet 2 --option Dpkg::Use-Pty=0 install mingw-w64 ${{ matrix.build == 'cmake' && 'ninja-build' || '' }}
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@692973e3d937129bcbf40652eb9f2f61becf3332 # v4
 
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: 'cmake configure'
         if: ${{ matrix.build == 'cmake' }}
         run: |
-          cmake -B bld \
+          cmake -B bld -G Ninja \
             -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=Windows \
             -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_TARGET=${TRIPLET} \
             -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=${TRIPLET}-gcc \