diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-steps.yml b/.github/workflows/build-steps.yml
index fac1f6a27..7b43c4987 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-steps.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-steps.yml
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ on:
         type: string
       python_ver:
         type: string
+      llvm_action_ver:
+        type: string
       setenvs:
         type: string
       simd:
@@ -125,6 +127,11 @@ jobs:
         run: |
             ${{inputs.setenvs}}
             src/build-scripts/ci-startup.bash
+      - name: Install LLVM and Clang
+        if: inputs.llvm_action_ver != ''
+        uses: KyleMayes/install-llvm-action@e0a8dc9cb8a22e8a7696e8a91a4e9581bec13181 # v2.0.5
+        with:
+          version: ${{ inputs.llvm_action_ver }}
       - name: Dependencies
         shell: bash
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 877c067de..bd85a6963 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ jobs:
       ctest_test_timeout: ${{ matrix.ctest_test_timeout || '800' }}
       coverage: ${{ matrix.coverage || 0 }}
       sonar: ${{ matrix.sonar || 0 }}
+      llvm_action_ver: ${{ matrix.llvm_action_ver }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -438,11 +439,10 @@ jobs:
             openimageio_ver: main
             pybind11_ver: master
             python_ver: "3.12"
+            llvm_action_ver: "18.1.7"
             simd: avx2,f16c
             batched: b8_AVX2,b8_AVX512,b16_AVX512
-            setenvs: export LLVM_VERSION=17.0.6
-                            LLVM_DISTRO_NAME=ubuntu-22.04
-                            PUGIXML_VERSION=master
+            setenvs: export PUGIXML_VERSION=master
           - desc: clang14/C++17 llvm14 py3.10 avx2 batch-b16avx512
             nametag: linux-latest-releases-clang
             runner: ubuntu-22.04
diff --git a/src/build-scripts/gh-installdeps.bash b/src/build-scripts/gh-installdeps.bash
index d73964566..4975fb214 100755
--- a/src/build-scripts/gh-installdeps.bash
+++ b/src/build-scripts/gh-installdeps.bash
@@ -132,7 +132,9 @@ else
         set +e; source /opt/intel/oneapi/setvars.sh --config oneapi_2022.1.0.cfg; set -e
     fi
 
-    source src/build-scripts/build_llvm.bash
+    if [[ "$LLVM_VERSION" != "" ]] ; then
+        source src/build-scripts/build_llvm.bash
+    fi
 fi
 
 if [[ "$CMAKE_VERSION" != "" ]] ; then
diff --git a/src/cmake/externalpackages.cmake b/src/cmake/externalpackages.cmake
index cc79d4a3f..4136cd7eb 100644
--- a/src/cmake/externalpackages.cmake
+++ b/src/cmake/externalpackages.cmake
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ checked_find_package (pugixml REQUIRED
 checked_find_package (LLVM REQUIRED
                       VERSION_MIN 11.0
                       VERSION_MAX 19.9
-                      PRINT LLVM_SYSTEM_LIBRARIES CLANG_LIBRARIES)
+                      PRINT LLVM_SYSTEM_LIBRARIES CLANG_LIBRARIES
+                            LLVM_SHARED_MODE)
 # ensure include directory is added (in case of non-standard locations
 include_directories (BEFORE SYSTEM "${LLVM_INCLUDES}")
 link_directories ("${LLVM_LIB_DIR}")
diff --git a/src/cmake/modules/FindLLVM.cmake b/src/cmake/modules/FindLLVM.cmake
index 40c7740f2..36e6d9667 100644
--- a/src/cmake/modules/FindLLVM.cmake
+++ b/src/cmake/modules/FindLLVM.cmake
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ endif ()
 
 foreach (COMPONENT clangFrontend clangDriver clangSerialization
                    clangParse clangSema clangAnalysis clangAST
-                   clangASTMatchers clangBasic clangEdit clangLex
-                   clangSupport clangAPINotes)
+                   clangASTMatchers clangEdit clangLex
+                   clangSupport clangAPINotes clangBasic)
     find_library ( _CLANG_${COMPONENT}_LIBRARY
                   NAMES ${COMPONENT}
                   PATHS ${LLVM_LIB_DIR}