diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 62abe6616..5c3e0553c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -111,11 +111,14 @@ jobs:
       # populating the cache for the next run.
       #
       # Versions are pinned to match desktopApp/build.gradle.kts (vlcVersion
-      # = 3.0.21) and the vlc-setup extension default (upxVersion = 4.2.4).
+      # = 3.0.20) and the vlc-setup extension default (upxVersion = 4.2.4).
+      # NOTE: vlcVersion lags behind upstream VLC because the Linux plugins on
+      # Maven Central (ir.mahozad:vlc-plugins-linux) are only published for
+      # 3.0.20 / 3.0.20-2. Bump only after the Maven artifact is republished.
       # macOS does not download UPX — UPX cannot compress .dylib files.
       - name: Pre-fetch VLC + UPX archives
         env:
-          VLC_VERSION: "3.0.21"
+          VLC_VERSION: "3.0.20"
           UPX_VERSION: "4.2.4"
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
diff --git a/desktopApp/build.gradle.kts b/desktopApp/build.gradle.kts
index 9afb1a8b5..c9797b90d 100644
--- a/desktopApp/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/desktopApp/build.gradle.kts
@@ -133,7 +133,10 @@ compose.desktop {
 }
 
 vlcSetup {
-    vlcVersion.set("3.0.21")
+    // Pinned to 3.0.20 because the Linux VLC plugins on Maven Central
+    // (ir.mahozad:vlc-plugins-linux) have not been republished for 3.0.21 — the
+    // latest there is 3.0.20-2. Using 3.0.21 makes vlcDownload 404 on Linux CI.
+    vlcVersion.set("3.0.20")
     shouldCompressVlcFiles.set(true)
     shouldIncludeAllVlcFiles.set(true)
     pathToCopyVlcLinuxFilesTo.set(file("src/jvmMain/appResources/linux/vlc"))