diff --git a/.github/ci/dependencies.yaml b/.github/ci/dependencies.yaml
index 637a37f..e28db8a 100644
--- a/.github/ci/dependencies.yaml
+++ b/.github/ci/dependencies.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
         - name: mongodb
-          image: mongo:8
+          # mongod 8.x exits at startup on the runners' Ubuntu 7.0.0 kernels (SERVER-136848),
+          # so the rollout below times out. 7.0 has no kernel check.
+          image: mongo:7.0
           args: ["--replSet", "rs0", "--bind_ip_all"]
           ports:
             - containerPort: 27017
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint-test.yaml b/.github/workflows/lint-test.yaml
index e717f3a..6945b5e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint-test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint-test.yaml
@@ -4,10 +4,7 @@ on: pull_request
 
 jobs:
   lint-test:
-    # ubuntu-26.04 runs kernel 7.0.0, and mongod (mongo:8 in .github/ci/dependencies.yaml)
-    # refuses to start on Ubuntu's 7.0.0 kernels (SERVER-136848), so the install gate's
-    # MongoDB never becomes ready. Move to ubuntu-latest once mongod starts there.
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       id-token: write   # Required for OIDC (assume the ECR pull role)
       contents: read    # Required for checkout