diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_installer.yml b/.github/workflows/build_installer.yml
index 2797cb013..a29001e68 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_installer.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_installer.yml
@@ -31,13 +31,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install Natron pacman repository
         run: |
-          mkdir ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/natron_pacman_repo
-          cd ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/natron_pacman_repo
-          wget https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/releases/download/windows-mingw-package-repo/natron_package_repo.zip
-          unzip natron_package_repo.zip
-          NATRON_REPO_PATH=`cygpath -u $GITHUB_WORKSPACE`
-          echo -e "#NATRON_REPO_START\n[natron]\nSigLevel = Optional TrustAll\nServer = file://${NATRON_REPO_PATH}/natron_pacman_repo/\n#NATRON_REPO_END" >> /etc/pacman.conf
-          pacman -Syl natron
+          ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/.github/workflows/install_natron_pacman_repo.sh ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE} ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/natron_pacman_repo
           pacman -S --needed --noconfirm mingw-w64-x86_64-natron-build-deps-qt5
 
       - name: Build
@@ -93,13 +87,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install Natron pacman repository
         run: |
-          mkdir ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/natron_pacman_repo
-          cd ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/natron_pacman_repo
-          wget https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/releases/download/windows-mingw-package-repo/natron_package_repo.zip
-          unzip natron_package_repo.zip
-          NATRON_REPO_PATH=`cygpath -u $GITHUB_WORKSPACE`
-          echo -e "#NATRON_REPO_START\n[natron]\nSigLevel = Optional TrustAll\nServer = file://${NATRON_REPO_PATH}/natron_pacman_repo/\n#NATRON_REPO_END" >> /etc/pacman.conf
-          pacman -Syl natron
+          ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/.github/workflows/install_natron_pacman_repo.sh ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE} ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/natron_pacman_repo
           pacman -S --needed --noconfirm mingw-w64-x86_64-natron-build-deps-qt5
 
       - name: Build
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_pacman_repo.yml b/.github/workflows/build_pacman_repo.yml
index d99acb21f..bba04eb2c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_pacman_repo.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_pacman_repo.yml
@@ -39,32 +39,37 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Inno Setup
         run: choco install innosetup
         shell: pwsh
+      - name: Prep MinGW package version list
+        run: |
+          pacman -Sl mingw64 msys > mingw-package-version-list.txt
       - name: Restore natron repo directory from cache
         id: restore-natron-repo-cache
         uses: actions/cache/restore@v3
         with:
-          path: tools/MINGW-packages/natron_repo
-          key: ${{ env.cache-name }}-${{ hashFiles('tools/MINGW-packages/**/PKGBUILD') }}
+          path: natron_repo
+          key: ${{ env.cache-name }}-${{ hashFiles('mingw-package-version-list.txt', 'tools/MINGW-packages/**/PKGBUILD') }}
       - name: Build natron package repo
         id: build-package-repo
         # Allow continuing after error so cache gets updated and makes reruns faster.
         continue-on-error: true
         run: |
-          cd tools/MINGW-packages
-          ./build_natron_package_repo.sh natron_repo
+          tools/MINGW-packages/build_natron_package_repo.sh natron_repo
+
+          REPO_VERSION=`cat ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/tools/MINGW-packages/windows_pacman_repo_version.txt`
+          echo "REPO_VERSION=${REPO_VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
       - name: Save natron repo directory to cache
         id: save-natron-repo-cache
         uses: actions/cache/save@v3
         # save even if build fails.
         if: always()
         with:
-          path: tools/MINGW-packages/natron_repo
-          key: ${{ env.cache-name }}-${{ hashFiles('tools/MINGW-packages/**/PKGBUILD') }}
+          path: natron_repo
+          key: ${{ env.cache-name }}-${{ hashFiles('mingw-package-version-list.txt', 'tools/MINGW-packages/**/PKGBUILD') }}
       - name: Upload natron_package_repo artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
         with:
-          name: natron_package_repo
-          path: tools/MINGW-packages/natron_repo
+          name: natron_package_repo-${{ steps.build-package-repo.outputs.REPO_VERSION }}
+          path: natron_repo
       - name: Check on failures
         if: steps.build-package-repo.outcome != 'success'
         run: exit 1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 540fcf5e3..b263e5a61 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -143,13 +143,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install Natron pacman repository
         run: |
-          mkdir ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/natron_pacman_repo
-          cd ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/natron_pacman_repo
-          wget https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/releases/download/windows-mingw-package-repo/natron_package_repo.zip
-          unzip natron_package_repo.zip
-          NATRON_REPO_PATH=`cygpath -u $GITHUB_WORKSPACE`
-          echo -e "#NATRON_REPO_START\n[natron]\nSigLevel = Optional TrustAll\nServer = file://${NATRON_REPO_PATH}/natron_pacman_repo/\n#NATRON_REPO_END" >> /etc/pacman.conf
-          pacman -Syl natron
+          ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/.github/workflows/install_natron_pacman_repo.sh ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE} ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/natron_pacman_repo
           pacman -S --needed --noconfirm mingw-w64-x86_64-natron-build-deps-qt5
 
       - name: Download OpenColorIO-Configs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/install_natron_pacman_repo.sh b/.github/workflows/install_natron_pacman_repo.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0812f9ad0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/install_natron_pacman_repo.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+NATRON_DIR=
+NATRON_REPO_DIR=
+if [[ -z $1 || -z $2 ]]; then
+  echo "Usage: $(basename $0) <natron_directory> <natron_repo_directory>"
+  exit 1
+else
+  NATRON_DIR=$(realpath $1)
+  NATRON_REPO_DIR=$(realpath $2)
+fi
+
+source ${NATRON_DIR}/tools/MINGW-packages/natron_repo_common.sh
+
+if [[ ! -d ${NATRON_REPO_DIR} ]]; then
+    mkdir ${NATRON_REPO_DIR}
+fi
+
+cd ${NATRON_REPO_DIR}
+
+WINDOWS_PACMAN_REPO_VERSION=`cat ${NATRON_DIR}/tools/MINGW-packages/windows_pacman_repo_version.txt`
+ZIP_FILENAME="natron_package_repo-${WINDOWS_PACMAN_REPO_VERSION}.zip"
+wget https://github.com/NatronGitHub/Natron/releases/download/windows-mingw-package-repo/${ZIP_FILENAME}
+
+if [[ -e ${ZIP_FILENAME} ]]; then
+    unzip ${ZIP_FILENAME}
+else
+    echo "Failed to fetch ${ZIP_FILENAME}"
+
+    echo "Building pacman repo locally."
+
+    # install necessary dependencies for building pacman repo.
+    pacman -S --needed --noconfirm git base-devel
+
+    ${NATRON_DIR}/tools/MINGW-packages/build_natron_package_repo.sh ${NATRON_REPO_DIR}
+fi
+
+UNIX_NATRON_REPO_DIR=`cygpath -u ${NATRON_REPO_DIR}`
+natron_repo_init ${UNIX_NATRON_REPO_DIR}
diff --git a/tools/MINGW-packages/build_natron_package_repo.sh b/tools/MINGW-packages/build_natron_package_repo.sh
index ae87d01ef..dc08294d5 100644
--- a/tools/MINGW-packages/build_natron_package_repo.sh
+++ b/tools/MINGW-packages/build_natron_package_repo.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 set -e
 #set -x
-CWD=$(pwd)
+BUILD_SCRIPT_DIR=$(realpath $(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}"))
 
 PKGS="
 mingw-w64-natron-setup
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ mingw-w64-dump_syms
 mingw-w64-natron-build-deps-qt5
 "
 
-source ./natron_repo_common.sh
+source "${BUILD_SCRIPT_DIR}/natron_repo_common.sh"
 
 trap natron_repo_cleanup EXIT
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ natron_repo_init ${NATRON_REPO_DIR}
 
 for pkg_dir in ${PKGS}; do
   echo -e "\n\nEntering package directory ${pkg_dir}."
-  cd "${CWD}/${pkg_dir}"
+  cd "${BUILD_SCRIPT_DIR}/${pkg_dir}"
 
   PACKAGE_NAME=`makepkg --printsrcinfo | awk '/pkgname/{print $3}'`
 
@@ -71,5 +71,5 @@ for pkg_dir in ${PKGS}; do
   fi
 
   echo -e "Leaving package directory ${pkg_dir}."
-  cd "${CWD}"
+  cd "${BUILD_SCRIPT_DIR}"
 done
diff --git a/tools/MINGW-packages/mingw-w64-natron-build-deps-qt5/PKGBUILD b/tools/MINGW-packages/mingw-w64-natron-build-deps-qt5/PKGBUILD
index 69ea0e05c..88940a8b6 100644
--- a/tools/MINGW-packages/mingw-w64-natron-build-deps-qt5/PKGBUILD
+++ b/tools/MINGW-packages/mingw-w64-natron-build-deps-qt5/PKGBUILD
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ depends=(
   # installer
   "zip"
   "unzip"
-  "${MINGW_PACKAGE_PREFIX}-firebird2-git"
+  "${MINGW_PACKAGE_PREFIX}-firebird"
   "${MINGW_PACKAGE_PREFIX}-breakpad-git"
   "${MINGW_PACKAGE_PREFIX}-python-sphinx"
   "${MINGW_PACKAGE_PREFIX}-python-sphinx_rtd_theme"
diff --git a/tools/MINGW-packages/windows_pacman_repo_version.txt b/tools/MINGW-packages/windows_pacman_repo_version.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d861e6ecd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/MINGW-packages/windows_pacman_repo_version.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+20240120-1