diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-test-kind.yaml b/.github/workflows/e2e-test-kind.yaml
index 79e07fded..fcf0d37c2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-test-kind.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-test-kind.yaml
@@ -39,14 +39,14 @@ jobs:
       # Look for a CLI that's made for this PR
       - name: Fetch built CLI
         id: cli-cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v6
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@v6
         with:
           path: ./_output/bin/linux/amd64/velero
           # The cache key a combination of the current PR number and the commit SHA
           key: velero-cli-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}-${{ github.sha }}
       - name: Fetch built image
         id: image-cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v6
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@v6
         with:
           path: ./velero.tar
           # The cache key a combination of the current PR number and the commit SHA
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ jobs:
           docker save velero:pr-test-linux-amd64 -o ./velero.tar
       # Build the MinIO image once for all e2e tests, from the reviewed bitnami/containers commit.
       - name: Cache MinIO Image
-        uses: actions/cache@v6
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@v6
         id: minio-cache
         with:
           path: ./minio-image.tar
@@ -81,6 +81,29 @@ jobs:
           cd /tmp/bitnami-containers/bitnami/minio/2026/debian-12
           docker build -t bitnami/minio:local .
           docker save bitnami/minio:local > ${{ github.workspace }}/minio-image.tar
+      # Save the freshly built artifacts to the cache explicitly, before this
+      # job reports completion. actions/cache saves in a post-job hook that
+      # runs *after* the job finishes, so the dependent run-e2e-test jobs (which
+      # start as soon as build completes) would race the save and miss the cache
+      # on a force push. See #9927.
+      - name: Save built CLI to cache
+        if: steps.cli-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        uses: actions/cache/save@v6
+        with:
+          path: ./_output/bin/linux/amd64/velero
+          key: velero-cli-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}-${{ github.sha }}
+      - name: Save built image to cache
+        if: steps.image-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        uses: actions/cache/save@v6
+        with:
+          path: ./velero.tar
+          key: velero-image-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}-${{ github.sha }}
+      - name: Save MinIO image to cache
+        if: steps.minio-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        uses: actions/cache/save@v6
+        with:
+          path: ./minio-image.tar
+          key: minio-bitnami-${{ steps.minio-version.outputs.dockerfile_sha }}
   # Create json of k8s versions to test
   # from guide: https://stackoverflow.com/a/65094398/4590470
   setup-test-matrix:
@@ -157,7 +180,7 @@ jobs:
 
       # Fetch the pre-built MinIO image from the build job
       - name: Fetch built MinIO Image
-        uses: actions/cache@v6
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@v6
         id: minio-cache
         with:
           path: ./minio-image.tar
@@ -176,13 +199,13 @@ jobs:
           node_image: "kindest/node:v${{ matrix.k8s }}"
       - name: Fetch built CLI
         id: cli-cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v6
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@v6
         with:
           path: ./_output/bin/linux/amd64/velero
           key: velero-cli-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}-${{ github.sha }}
       - name: Fetch built Image
         id: image-cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v6
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@v6
         with:
           path: ./velero.tar
           key: velero-image-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}-${{ github.sha }}
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/9952-alliasgher b/changelogs/unreleased/9952-alliasgher
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0f96ef5da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/9952-alliasgher
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix e2e-test-kind workflow cache miss on force push by saving build artifacts explicitly instead of relying on the actions/cache post-job hook