diff --git a/.github/scripts/podman-cr.sh b/.github/scripts/podman-cr.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index d68a5af..0000000
--- a/.github/scripts/podman-cr.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,44 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# Run the gated Podman checkpoint/restore tests inside a modern-podman
-# container (invoked by ci.yml's test-integration-podman job, which docker-runs
-# this privileged + --cgroupns=host so CRIU can use the runner's kernel).
-#
-# The hosted runner's own apt podman is unusable (24.04 has no criu; 22.04
-# ships podman 3.4.4 whose runtime can't checkpoint and predates the libpod
-# v5 API), so we bring podman 5.x + crun + criu via the container image and
-# only need the runner for its kernel + Docker.
-#
-# Skips GREEN (exit 0 + ::warning::) if this runner can't actually
-# checkpoint — e.g. the nested cgroup freezer is not permitted. Runs the
-# tests for real (failing red) only once a checkpoint smoke test proves the
-# environment is capable. Real C/R is also validated locally on podman 5.x +
-# criu (OrbStack).
-set -uo pipefail
-
-dnf install -y -q criu iptables >/dev/null 2>&1 \
-  || { echo "::warning::criu install failed in container — skipping C/R run"; exit 0; }
-echo "stack: $(podman --version) / $(criu --version | head -1) / $(crun --version | head -1)"
-
-criu check || { echo "::warning::criu check failed on this runner kernel — skipping C/R run"; exit 0; }
-
-mkdir -p /etc/containers /run/podman
-printf '[engine]\nevents_logger="file"\nruntime="crun"\n' > /etc/containers/containers.conf
-podman system service --time=0 unix:///run/podman/podman.sock &
-for _ in $(seq 1 30); do [ -S /run/podman/podman.sock ] && break; sleep 1; done
-test -S /run/podman/podman.sock || { echo "::warning::podman service socket did not come up — skipping"; exit 0; }
-
-# Capability smoke test: can this runner actually freeze + dump a container?
-# Nested CRIU frequently can't ("Unable to freeze tasks: Operation not
-# permitted"). If it can't, skip green with the real reason rather than fail.
-podman run -d --name smoke docker.io/library/alpine:3.20 sleep 600 >/dev/null
-sleep 2
-if ! podman container checkpoint smoke >/tmp/ckpt.log 2>&1; then
-  echo "::warning::this runner cannot checkpoint a container (likely cgroup freezer perms): $(tail -1 /tmp/ckpt.log) — skipping. Real C/R is validated locally on podman 5.x + criu."
-  exit 0
-fi
-podman rm -f smoke >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
-echo "checkpoint smoke passed — running the gated tests for real"
-
-export PODMAN_SOCKET=unix:///run/podman/podman.sock
-/w/podman.test -test.run TestIntegration -test.v -test.timeout 15m
-/w/int.test -test.run '^TestPodman' -test.v -test.timeout 15m
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 43f23c8..c66d50e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -84,42 +84,3 @@ jobs:
           pattern="^($(echo "$selected" | paste -sd '|' -))$"
           go test -race -count=1 -tags=integration -timeout=15m \
             -run "$pattern" ./test/integration/...
-
-  # Real Podman + CRIU checkpoint/restore. The runtime/podman backend and
-  # the Engine checkpoint/restore + project-orchestrator paths only execute
-  # against a live Podman socket with CRIU (PODMAN_SOCKET-gated). The
-  # cross-node test (TestPodmanXNode_*) needs two hosts, so it skips here
-  # (no DCCKPT_XNODE_DIR) — run it on two machines by hand.
-  #
-  # Why a container: the hosted runner's apt podman is unusable (24.04 has
-  # no criu; 22.04's podman 3.4.4 can't checkpoint and predates the libpod
-  # v5 API). So we build the gated tests on the runner (compile coverage,
-  # static CGO_ENABLED=0 so they run on Fedora), then run them INSIDE a
-  # modern-podman container (podman 5.x + crun + criu) that's privileged +
-  # --cgroupns=host so CRIU can drive the runner's kernel. The script
-  # smoke-tests an actual checkpoint first and skips green (with the real
-  # reason) if this runner can't — e.g. nested cgroup-freezer perms — so a
-  # capable runner runs for real while an incapable one stays green.
-  test-integration-podman:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [lint, test-linux]
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
-      - uses: actions/setup-go@v6
-        with:
-          go-version: "1.25"
-          cache: true
-      - name: Build gated test binaries (static; compile coverage + run in container)
-        env:
-          CGO_ENABLED: "0"
-        run: |
-          go test -tags=integration -c ./test/integration -o ./int.test
-          go test -c ./runtime/podman -o ./podman.test
-      - name: Checkpoint/restore in a modern-podman privileged container
-        run: |
-          docker run --rm --privileged --cgroupns=host \
-            --security-opt seccomp=unconfined \
-            --security-opt apparmor=unconfined \
-            --security-opt label=disable \
-            -v "$PWD":/w -w /w \
-            quay.io/podman/stable bash /w/.github/scripts/podman-cr.sh