diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 64bfb232fba1..4235bcb904e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
 
   conditional:
     name: Check conditional workflows and jobs
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     outputs:
       ci: ${{ steps.conditional.outputs.ci }}
       ci-quarkus: ${{ steps.conditional.outputs.ci-quarkus }}
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ jobs:
   build:
     name: Build
     if: needs.conditional.outputs.ci == 'true'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     needs: conditional
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ jobs:
 
   unit-tests:
     name: Base UT
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     needs: build
     timeout-minutes: 30
     steps:
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ jobs:
   base-integration-tests:
     name: Base IT
     needs: build
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     timeout-minutes: 100
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ jobs:
   adapter-integration-tests:
     name: Adapter IT
     needs: build
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     timeout-minutes: 100
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 15
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ ubuntu-latest, windows-latest ]
+        os: [ ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}, windows-latest ]
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 115
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-latest]
+        os: [${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}]
         suite: [zip, container, storage, smoke]
         full-testsuite:
           - ${{ needs.conditional.outputs.ci-quarkus == 'true' }}
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 100
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
+        os: [${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}, windows-latest]
         dist: [temurin]
         version: [17]
       fail-fast: false
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Volatile Sessions IT
     needs: [build, conditional]
     if: needs.conditional.outputs.ci-store == 'true'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     timeout-minutes: 150
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ jobs:
     name: External Infinispan IT
     needs: [ build, conditional ]
     if: needs.conditional.outputs.ci-store == 'true'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     timeout-minutes: 150
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ jobs:
     name: AuroraDB IT
     needs: conditional
     if: needs.conditional.outputs.ci-aurora == 'true'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     timeout-minutes: 150
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ jobs:
   store-integration-tests:
     name: Store IT
     needs: build
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     timeout-minutes: 75
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ jobs:
 
   store-model-tests:
     name: Store Model Tests
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     needs: [build, conditional]
     if: needs.conditional.outputs.ci-store == 'true'
     timeout-minutes: 75
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ jobs:
   clustering-integration-tests:
     name: Clustering IT
     needs: build
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     timeout-minutes: 35
     env:
       MAVEN_OPTS: -Xmx1024m
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ jobs:
 
   fips-unit-tests:
     name: FIPS UT
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     needs: build
     timeout-minutes: 20
     steps:
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ jobs:
   fips-integration-tests:
     name: FIPS IT
     needs: build
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     timeout-minutes: 45
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ jobs:
 
   forms-integration-tests:
     name: Forms IT
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     needs: build
     timeout-minutes: 75
     strategy:
@@ -834,7 +834,7 @@ jobs:
   webauthn-integration-tests:
     name: WebAuthn IT
     if: needs.conditional.outputs.ci-webauthn == 'true'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     needs: build
     timeout-minutes: 45
     strategy:
@@ -875,7 +875,7 @@ jobs:
 
   sssd-unit-tests:
     name: SSSD
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     if: needs.conditional.outputs.ci-sssd == 'true'
     needs:
       - conditional
@@ -912,7 +912,7 @@ jobs:
 
   migration-tests:
     name: Migration Tests
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     needs: build
     timeout-minutes: 45
     strategy:
@@ -959,7 +959,7 @@ jobs:
 
   test-framework:
     name: Keycloak Test Framework
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     needs: build
     timeout-minutes: 30
     steps:
@@ -974,7 +974,7 @@ jobs:
 
   test-poc:
     name: Test PoC
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     if: needs.conditional.outputs.ci-test-poc == 'true'
     needs:
       - conditional
@@ -1016,7 +1016,7 @@ jobs:
       - migration-tests
       - external-infinispan-tests
       - test-poc
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ${{ vars.DEFAULT_LINUX_RUNNER || 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: ./.github/actions/status-check