diff --git a/.github/actions/install-ninja/action.yml b/.github/actions/install-ninja/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5f4dda4fec5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/install-ninja/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+name: 'Install ninja'
+description: 'Install ninja'
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: Install ninja (macOS)
+      run: brew install ninja
+      if: runner.os == 'macOS'
+      shell: bash
+    - name: Install ninja (Windows)
+      run: choco install ninja
+      if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+      shell: bash
+    - name: Install ninja (Linux)
+      run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y ninja-build
+      if: runner.os == 'Linux'
+      shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/actions/install-rust/action.yml b/.github/actions/install-rust/action.yml
index a0859dda1206..87a05edb8fbd 100644
--- a/.github/actions/install-rust/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/install-rust/action.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ runs:
         elif [ "${{ inputs.toolchain }}" = "msrv" ]; then
           echo "version=1.$msrv.0" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         elif [ "${{ inputs.toolchain }}" = "wasmtime-ci-pinned-nightly" ]; then
-          echo "version=nightly-2024-10-02" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "version=nightly-2024-10-22" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         else
           echo "version=${{ inputs.toolchain }}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index aaa4906b13c6..5a37ccf2f5e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -1088,6 +1088,7 @@ jobs:
       with:
         submodules: true
 
+    - uses: ./.github/actions/install-ninja
     - uses: ./.github/actions/install-rust
       with:
         toolchain: ${{ matrix.rust }}
diff --git a/ci/build-release-artifacts.sh b/ci/build-release-artifacts.sh
index cd91e430032b..606cf61c9b87 100755
--- a/ci/build-release-artifacts.sh
+++ b/ci/build-release-artifacts.sh
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ cargo build --release $flags --target $target -p wasmtime-cli $bin_flags --featu
 mkdir -p target/c-api-build
 cd target/c-api-build
 cmake \
+  -G Ninja \
   ../../crates/c-api \
   $cmake_flags \
   -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
diff --git a/ci/docker/aarch64-linux/Dockerfile b/ci/docker/aarch64-linux/Dockerfile
index 4573e830e435..cbe2a7166ac8 100644
--- a/ci/docker/aarch64-linux/Dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/aarch64-linux/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FROM ubuntu:16.04
 
-RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y gcc gcc-aarch64-linux-gnu ca-certificates curl make git
+RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y gcc gcc-aarch64-linux-gnu ca-certificates curl make git ninja-build
 RUN git config --global --add safe.directory '*'
 
 # The CMake in Ubuntu 16.04 was a bit too old for us to use so download one from
diff --git a/ci/docker/riscv64gc-linux/Dockerfile b/ci/docker/riscv64gc-linux/Dockerfile
index c10524d862b0..cdfbd8eacf7a 100644
--- a/ci/docker/riscv64gc-linux/Dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/riscv64gc-linux/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FROM ubuntu:22.04
 
-RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y gcc gcc-riscv64-linux-gnu ca-certificates cmake git
+RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y gcc gcc-riscv64-linux-gnu ca-certificates cmake git ninja-build
 RUN git config --global --add safe.directory '*'
 
 ENV CARGO_TARGET_RISCV64GC_UNKNOWN_LINUX_GNU_LINKER=riscv64-linux-gnu-gcc
diff --git a/ci/docker/s390x-linux/Dockerfile b/ci/docker/s390x-linux/Dockerfile
index 6c97b174dea2..ebe629581e9d 100644
--- a/ci/docker/s390x-linux/Dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/s390x-linux/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FROM ubuntu:16.04
 
-RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y gcc gcc-s390x-linux-gnu ca-certificates curl make git
+RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y gcc gcc-s390x-linux-gnu ca-certificates curl make git ninja-build
 RUN git config --global --add safe.directory '*'
 
 # The CMake in Ubuntu 16.04 was a bit too old for us to use so download one from
diff --git a/ci/docker/x86_64-linux/Dockerfile b/ci/docker/x86_64-linux/Dockerfile
index add422150508..814407be098a 100644
--- a/ci/docker/x86_64-linux/Dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/x86_64-linux/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 FROM almalinux:8
 
-RUN dnf install -y git gcc make cmake git
+RUN dnf install -y git gcc make cmake git unzip
 RUN git config --global --add safe.directory '*'
+
+WORKDIR /usr/local/bin
+RUN curl -LO https://github.com/ninja-build/ninja/releases/download/v1.12.1/ninja-linux.zip
+RUN unzip ./ninja-linux
+WORKDIR /
diff --git a/ci/docker/x86_64-musl/Dockerfile b/ci/docker/x86_64-musl/Dockerfile
index acd6dd88d981..c1ca3d9a3f4a 100644
--- a/ci/docker/x86_64-musl/Dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/x86_64-musl/Dockerfile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ RUN apk add libgcc
 # Use something glibc-based for the actual compile because the Rust toolchain
 # we're using is glibc-based in CI.
 FROM ubuntu:24.04
-RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y cmake musl-tools git
+RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y cmake musl-tools git ninja-build
 COPY --from=libgcc_s_src /usr/lib/libgcc_s.so.1 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-musl
 RUN git config --global --add safe.directory '*'