diff --git a/.github/actions/setup-apple-runner-build/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup-apple-runner-build/action.yml
index c05ecd9326..f2aba5b093 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup-apple-runner-build/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup-apple-runner-build/action.yml
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ runs:
       id: source-hash
       run: |
         set -euo pipefail
-        echo "value=${{ hashFiles('apple/runner/**', 'apple/snapshot-presentation/**', 'scripts/build-xcuitest-apple.sh', 'scripts/swift-toolchain-tmpdir.ts', 'scripts/patch-xcuitest-runner-icon.ts', 'scripts/write-xcuitest-cache-metadata.mjs', 'packages/platform-apple/src/runner/**', '!packages/platform-apple/src/runner/__tests__/**', '.github/actions/setup-apple-runner-build/action.yml') }}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+        echo "value=${{ hashFiles('apple/runner/**', 'apple/snapshot-presentation/**', 'scripts/build-xcuitest-apple.sh', 'scripts/swift-toolchain-tmpdir.ts', 'scripts/write-xcuitest-cache-metadata.mjs', '.github/actions/setup-apple-runner-build/action.yml') }}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
       shell: bash
 
     - name: Resolve Apple runner build variant
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ runs:
         AGENT_DEVICE_IOS_RUNNER_DERIVED_PATH: ${{ inputs.derived-path }}
         AGENT_DEVICE_XCUITEST_PLATFORM: ${{ inputs.xcuitest-platform }}
         AGENT_DEVICE_XCUITEST_DESTINATION: ${{ inputs.xcuitest-destination }}
+        AGENT_DEVICE_XCUITEST_SKIP_ICON_PATCH: '1'
 
     - name: Save Apple runner build cache
       if: steps.restore-runner-build.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
@@ -98,6 +99,10 @@ runs:
         path: ${{ inputs.derived-path }}
         key: ${{ steps.restore-runner-build.outputs.cache-primary-key }}
 
+    - name: Patch XCTest runner icon
+      shell: bash
+      run: node --experimental-strip-types scripts/patch-xcuitest-runner-icon.ts "${{ inputs.derived-path }}"
+
     - name: Report Apple runner build cache
       env:
         CACHE_HIT: ${{ steps.restore-runner-build.outputs.cache-hit }}
@@ -106,9 +111,9 @@ runs:
       run: |
         set -euo pipefail
         if [ "$CACHE_HIT" = 'true' ]; then
-          RESULT='restored exact prebuilt runner; compilation skipped'
+          RESULT='restored native build; compilation skipped; icon patch applied'
         else
-          RESULT='cache miss; built runner and attempted cache save'
+          RESULT='cache miss; built and cached native runner; icon patch applied'
         fi
         {
           printf '### Apple runner cache (%s)\n\n' "$BUILD_GATE"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ios.yml b/.github/workflows/ios.yml
index ae56f320ed..17e7c7ce0d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ios.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ios.yml
@@ -191,7 +191,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run gesture pan-duration smoke replay
         run: |
           xcrun simctl install "${{ steps.ios-simulator.outputs.simulator-udid }}" "${{ steps.fixture-app.outputs.app-path }}"
-          pnpm clean:daemon
           node --experimental-strip-types src/bin.ts test examples/test-app/replays/gesture-pan-duration.ad --udid "${{ steps.ios-simulator.outputs.simulator-udid }}" --timeout 180000 --retries 2 --artifacts-dir test/artifacts/replays-ios-gesture-pan-duration --report-junit test/artifacts/replays-ios-gesture-pan-duration.junit.xml
           pnpm clean:daemon
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/replays-manual.yml b/.github/workflows/replays-manual.yml
index acdc155376..d5e0d8ad2e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/replays-manual.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/replays-manual.yml
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           pnpm clean:daemon
           node --experimental-strip-types src/bin.ts prepare ios-runner --platform ios --udid "${{ steps.ios-simulator.outputs.simulator-udid }}" --timeout "$AGENT_DEVICE_IOS_PREPARE_TIMEOUT_MS" --json
-          pnpm clean:daemon
 
       - name: Run iOS simulator replay suite
         uses: ./.github/actions/run-gate
diff --git a/scripts/__tests__/apple-ci-impact.test.ts b/scripts/__tests__/apple-ci-impact.test.ts
index 7fa5a1a86d..31b79a3d86 100644
--- a/scripts/__tests__/apple-ci-impact.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/__tests__/apple-ci-impact.test.ts
@@ -34,13 +34,12 @@ function workflowStepIndex(workflow: string, matches: (step: WorkflowStep) => bo
     .findIndex(matches);
 }
 
-test('every runner build-cache input triggers the PR XCTest lane', () => {
+test('native runner build-cache inputs trigger the PR XCTest lane', () => {
   const action = fs.readFileSync(
     path.join(repoRoot, '.github/actions/setup-apple-runner-build/action.yml'),
     'utf8',
   );
-  expect(cacheInputs(action)).toContain('packages/platform-apple/src/runner/**');
-  expect(cacheInputs(action)).toContain('!packages/platform-apple/src/runner/__tests__/**');
+  expect(cacheInputs(action).filter((input) => input.startsWith('packages/'))).toEqual([]);
   const uncovered = (text: string) =>
     cacheInputs(text)
       .filter((input) => !input.startsWith('!'))
@@ -63,6 +62,31 @@ test('every runner build-cache input triggers the PR XCTest lane', () => {
   ).toEqual(['packages/platform-apple/src/foldable/**']);
 });
 
+test('the cache stores native products before applying the current runner icon patch', () => {
+  const action = fs.readFileSync(
+    path.join(repoRoot, '.github/actions/setup-apple-runner-build/action.yml'),
+    'utf8',
+  );
+  const doc = parse(action) as {
+    runs: {
+      steps: Array<{ name?: string; env?: Record<string, string>; if?: string; run?: string }>;
+    };
+  };
+  const steps = doc.runs.steps;
+  const build = steps.find((step) => step.name === 'Build Apple runner artifacts on cache miss');
+  const saveIndex = steps.findIndex((step) => step.name === 'Save Apple runner build cache');
+  const patchIndex = steps.findIndex((step) => step.name === 'Patch XCTest runner icon');
+  expect(build?.env?.AGENT_DEVICE_XCUITEST_SKIP_ICON_PATCH).toBe('1');
+  expect(saveIndex).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+  expect(patchIndex).toBeGreaterThan(saveIndex);
+  expect(steps[patchIndex]?.if).toBeUndefined();
+  expect(steps[patchIndex]?.run).toContain('scripts/patch-xcuitest-runner-icon.ts');
+  expect(cacheInputs(action)).not.toContain('scripts/patch-xcuitest-runner-icon.ts');
+  expect(fs.readFileSync(path.join(repoRoot, 'scripts/build-xcuitest-apple.sh'), 'utf8')).toContain(
+    'if ! is_truthy "${AGENT_DEVICE_XCUITEST_SKIP_ICON_PATCH:-}"; then',
+  );
+});
+
 test('the PR workflow applies the impact decision to the XCTest step', () => {
   const workflow = fs.readFileSync(path.join(repoRoot, '.github/workflows/ios.yml'), 'utf8');
   expect(workflow).toContain('node --experimental-strip-types scripts/apple-ci-impact.ts xctest');
diff --git a/scripts/build-xcuitest-apple.sh b/scripts/build-xcuitest-apple.sh
index 6c0b5fd556..3142a98be8 100644
--- a/scripts/build-xcuitest-apple.sh
+++ b/scripts/build-xcuitest-apple.sh
@@ -165,5 +165,7 @@ node --experimental-strip-types scripts/swift-toolchain-tmpdir.ts xcodebuild bui
   $ARCH_BUILD_SETTINGS \
   $SIGNING_BUILD_SETTINGS
 
-node --experimental-strip-types scripts/patch-xcuitest-runner-icon.ts "$DERIVED_PATH"
+if ! is_truthy "${AGENT_DEVICE_XCUITEST_SKIP_ICON_PATCH:-}"; then
+  node --experimental-strip-types scripts/patch-xcuitest-runner-icon.ts "$DERIVED_PATH"
+fi
 node scripts/write-xcuitest-cache-metadata.mjs "$PLATFORM" "$DERIVED_PATH" "$DESTINATION"