diff --git a/.github/workflows/checks.yaml b/.github/workflows/checks.yaml
index 2cf256d084..6f3d9245bf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checks.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checks.yaml
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ on:
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
+env:
+  BUNDLE_WITHOUT: packaging:documentation
+
 jobs:
   checks:
     name: ${{ matrix.cfg.check }}
@@ -28,12 +31,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
         with:
           ruby-version: ${{ matrix.cfg.ruby }}
-
-      - name: Update rubygems and install gems
-        run: |
-          gem update --system --silent --no-document
-          bundle config set without packaging documentation
-          bundle install --jobs 4 --retry 3
+          bundler-cache: true
 
       - name: Run ${{ matrix.cfg.check }} check
         run: bundle exec rake ${{ matrix.cfg.check }}
diff --git a/.rubocop.yml b/.rubocop.yml
index 64aedc3ec0..365df776fa 100644
--- a/.rubocop.yml
+++ b/.rubocop.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ plugins:
   - rubocop-rake
   - rubocop-rspec
 
+# without excluding the vendor dirs below, rubocop will load all rubocop config files from installed gems ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 AllCops:
   TargetRubyVersion: 3.1
   Include:
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@ AllCops:
     - 'lib/puppet/vendor/**/*'
     - 'lib/puppet/pops/model/ast.rb'
     - 'lib/puppet/pops/parser/eparser.rb'
+    - 'vendor/**/*'
+    - '.vendor/**/*'
 
 # The formatting of defaults is unusual, so let's skip layout cops.
 Layout: