diff --git a/infra/k8s/argo/build-ci-image-template.yaml b/infra/k8s/argo/build-ci-image-template.yaml
index 0449687d7..759f14649 100644
--- a/infra/k8s/argo/build-ci-image-template.yaml
+++ b/infra/k8s/argo/build-ci-image-template.yaml
@@ -84,15 +84,10 @@ spec:
 
               SHA="{{inputs.parameters.commit-sha}}"
               REPO="ssh://git@gitlab-gitlab-shell.foxhunt.svc.cluster.local:2222/root/foxhunt.git"
-              if [ "$SHA" = "HEAD" ]; then
-                git clone --depth=1 "$REPO" /workspace/src
-              else
-                git clone --depth=1 "$REPO" /workspace/src
-                cd /workspace/src
-                git fetch --depth=1 origin "$SHA"
-                git checkout "$SHA"
-              fi
-              echo "Checked out $(cd /workspace/src && git rev-parse --short HEAD)"
+              git clone --no-checkout --filter=blob:none "$REPO" /workspace/src
+              cd /workspace/src
+              git checkout "$SHA"
+              echo "Checked out $(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"
       container:
         image: gcr.io/kaniko-project/executor:debug
         command: ["/busybox/sh", "-c"]
diff --git a/infra/k8s/argo/ci-pipeline-template.yaml b/infra/k8s/argo/ci-pipeline-template.yaml
index cb2f57dba..916f54bdc 100644
--- a/infra/k8s/argo/ci-pipeline-template.yaml
+++ b/infra/k8s/argo/ci-pipeline-template.yaml
@@ -561,14 +561,9 @@ spec:
 
             REPO="ssh://git@gitlab-gitlab-shell.foxhunt.svc.cluster.local:2222/root/foxhunt.git"
             WORKSPACE="/tmp/workspace"
-            if [ "$SHA" = "HEAD" ]; then
-              git clone --depth=1 "$REPO" "$WORKSPACE"
-            else
-              git clone --depth=1 "$REPO" "$WORKSPACE"
-              cd "$WORKSPACE"
-              git fetch --depth=1 origin "$SHA"
-              git checkout "$SHA"
-            fi
+            git clone --no-checkout --filter=blob:none "$REPO" "$WORKSPACE"
+            cd "$WORKSPACE"
+            git checkout "$SHA"
 
             cd "$WORKSPACE/web-dashboard"
             echo "=== Building web dashboard ==="
@@ -644,15 +639,9 @@ spec:
 
             REPO="ssh://git@gitlab-gitlab-shell.foxhunt.svc.cluster.local:2222/root/foxhunt.git"
             WORKSPACE="/tmp/workspace"
-            if [ "$SHA" = "HEAD" ]; then
-              git clone --depth=1 "$REPO" "$WORKSPACE"
-            else
-              git clone --depth=1 "$REPO" "$WORKSPACE"
-              cd "$WORKSPACE"
-              git fetch --depth=1 origin "$SHA"
-              git checkout "$SHA"
-            fi
+            git clone --no-checkout --filter=blob:none "$REPO" "$WORKSPACE"
             cd "$WORKSPACE"
+            git checkout "$SHA"
             echo "Checked out $(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"
 
             export FOXHUNT_BUILD_VERSION="{{inputs.parameters.tag}}"
@@ -788,15 +777,9 @@ spec:
 
             REPO="ssh://git@gitlab-gitlab-shell.foxhunt.svc.cluster.local:2222/root/foxhunt.git"
             WORKSPACE="/tmp/workspace"
-            if [ "$SHA" = "HEAD" ]; then
-              git clone --depth=1 "$REPO" "$WORKSPACE"
-            else
-              git clone --depth=1 "$REPO" "$WORKSPACE"
-              cd "$WORKSPACE"
-              git fetch --depth=1 origin "$SHA"
-              git checkout "$SHA"
-            fi
+            git clone --no-checkout --filter=blob:none "$REPO" "$WORKSPACE"
             cd "$WORKSPACE"
+            git checkout "$SHA"
             echo "Checked out $(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"
 
             export FOXHUNT_BUILD_VERSION="{{inputs.parameters.tag}}"
diff --git a/infra/k8s/argo/compile-and-train-template.yaml b/infra/k8s/argo/compile-and-train-template.yaml
index 26146d0dc..a9e4d43a9 100644
--- a/infra/k8s/argo/compile-and-train-template.yaml
+++ b/infra/k8s/argo/compile-and-train-template.yaml
@@ -176,13 +176,9 @@ spec:
 
             REPO="ssh://git@gitlab-gitlab-shell.foxhunt.svc.cluster.local:2222/root/foxhunt.git"
             BUILD="/tmp/workspace"
-            if [ "$SHA" = "HEAD" ]; then
-              git clone --depth=1 "$REPO" "$BUILD"
-            else
-              git clone --depth=1 "$REPO" "$BUILD"
-              cd "$BUILD" && git fetch --depth=1 origin "$SHA" && git checkout "$SHA"
-            fi
+            git clone --no-checkout --filter=blob:none "$REPO" "$BUILD"
             cd "$BUILD"
+            git checkout "$SHA"
             SHORT_SHA=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
             echo "Checked out ${SHORT_SHA}"
 
diff --git a/infra/live/production/kapsule/terragrunt.hcl b/infra/live/production/kapsule/terragrunt.hcl
index 3d9286fc5..1f79b6522 100644
--- a/infra/live/production/kapsule/terragrunt.hcl
+++ b/infra/live/production/kapsule/terragrunt.hcl
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ inputs = {
   enable_gitlab_pool = true
   gitlab_type        = "GP1-XS"
 
-  # CPU compile pool (POP2-32C-128G for cargo check/build — 32 vCPU, 128GB RAM, no GPU)
+  # CPU compile pool (POP2-HC-32C-64G for cargo check/build — 32 vCPU, 64GB RAM, high clock, no GPU)
   enable_ci_compile_cpu_pool = true
-  ci_compile_cpu_type        = "POP2-32C-128G"
+  ci_compile_cpu_type        = "POP2-HC-32C-64G"
   ci_compile_cpu_max_size    = 4
 
   # L40S training pool (48GB VRAM, CUDA CC 89 — supervised hyperopt)
diff --git a/infra/modules/kapsule/variables.tf b/infra/modules/kapsule/variables.tf
index d3f0ed92b..07360c0e3 100644
--- a/infra/modules/kapsule/variables.tf
+++ b/infra/modules/kapsule/variables.tf
@@ -148,9 +148,9 @@ variable "enable_ci_compile_cpu_pool" {
 }
 
 variable "ci_compile_cpu_type" {
-  description = "Instance type for the CPU compile pool (32 vCPU, 128GB RAM, no GPU)"
+  description = "Instance type for the CPU compile pool (32 vCPU, 64GB RAM, high clock, no GPU)"
   type        = string
-  default     = "POP2-32C-128G"
+  default     = "POP2-HC-32C-64G"
 }
 
 variable "ci_compile_cpu_max_size" {