diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-ios-sim.yml b/.github/workflows/build-ios-sim.yml
index 6bd3718b..01c90f64 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-ios-sim.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-ios-sim.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ jobs:
     env:
       APP_IOS_TYPE: cakewallet
       BRANCH_NAME: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}
+      # CocoaPods refuses to operate when LANG is ASCII-8BIT (default for the
+      # Gitea runner shell). Force UTF-8 globally so `pod install` succeeds.
+      LANG: en_US.UTF-8
+      LC_ALL: en_US.UTF-8
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-ios-testflight.yml b/.github/workflows/build-ios-testflight.yml
index f2492653..b83cc90b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-ios-testflight.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-ios-testflight.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ jobs:
     env:
       APP_IOS_TYPE: cakewallet
       BRANCH_NAME: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}
+      # CocoaPods needs UTF-8; Gitea runner shell defaults to ASCII-8BIT.
+      LANG: en_US.UTF-8
+      LC_ALL: en_US.UTF-8
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4