diff --git a/.github/scripts/start-mysql.ps1 b/.github/scripts/start-mysql.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6dacf6fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/start-mysql.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# Initializes and starts the MySQL server preinstalled on the Windows runner image and loads the test schemas.
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+$bin = 'C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\bin'
+$dataDir = 'C:\mysql-data'
+$ini = "$env:RUNNER_TEMP\my.ini"
+Set-Content -Path $ini -Value @"
+[mysqld]
+datadir=$($dataDir -replace '\\', '/')
+local-infile=1
+skip-log-bin
+innodb-flush-log-at-trx-commit=0
+innodb-doublewrite=0
+"@
+
+& "$bin\mysqld.exe" "--defaults-file=$ini" --initialize-insecure --console
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'mysqld --initialize-insecure failed' }
+
+# a service (unlike a child process) survives the end of the workflow step
+& "$bin\mysqld.exe" --install MySQL "--defaults-file=$ini"
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'mysqld --install failed' }
+Start-Service MySQL
+
+for ($i = 0; $i -lt 60; $i++) {
+  & "$bin\mysqladmin.exe" -u root ping *> $null
+  if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) { break }
+  Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
+}
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'mysqld did not start' }
+
+& "$bin\mysql.exe" -u root -e "CREATE DATABASE $env:TESTS_DB"
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'create database failed' }
+& "$bin\mysql.exe" -u root $env:TESTS_DB --execute="source examples/config/mysql/types/schema.sql; source examples/config/mysql/authors/schema.sql;"
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'loading schemas failed' }
+Write-Host 'mysql ready'
diff --git a/.github/scripts/start-postgres.ps1 b/.github/scripts/start-postgres.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..95a4fb19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/start-postgres.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# Starts the PostgreSQL service preinstalled on the Windows runner image and loads the test schemas.
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+$psql = Join-Path $env:PGROOT 'bin\psql.exe'
+function Invoke-Psql { & $psql -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 @args; if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "psql failed: $args" } }
+
+Set-Service postgresql-x64-17 -StartupType Manual
+Start-Service postgresql-x64-17
+
+# The image sets the superuser password to 'root'; tests expect the one from .env
+$env:PGPASSWORD = 'root'
+Invoke-Psql -U postgres -c "CREATE DATABASE $env:TESTS_DB"
+Invoke-Psql -U postgres -c "ALTER USER postgres PASSWORD '$env:POSTGRES_PASSWORD'"
+
+$env:PGPASSWORD = $env:POSTGRES_PASSWORD
+Invoke-Psql -U postgres -d $env:TESTS_DB -f 'examples/config/postgresql/types/schema.sql' -f 'examples/config/postgresql/authors/schema.sql'
+Write-Host 'postgres ready'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/legacy-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/legacy-tests.yml
index d70699c5..fbb774d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/legacy-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/legacy-tests.yml
@@ -52,74 +52,36 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup NuGet
         uses: NuGet/setup-nuget@v4
         
-      - name: Install Chocolatey
-        shell: powershell
+      # PostgreSQL 17 and MySQL 8.0 come preinstalled on the Windows runner image - using them is much faster than
+      # downloading and installing them (setup-postgres ~3.5 min, choco mysql ~2 min).
+      # Both databases are set up in the background while the test projects are restored and built. This has to be
+      # a single step: child processes do not outlive the step that started them (the database services do).
+      - name: Set up databases and build test projects in parallel
+        shell: pwsh
         run: |
-          Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force
-          [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072
-          iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))
+          $dbJobs = foreach ($db in 'postgres', 'mysql') {
+            Start-Process -FilePath pwsh -PassThru -WindowStyle Hidden `
+              -ArgumentList '-NoProfile', '-File', ".github/scripts/start-$db.ps1" `
+              -RedirectStandardOutput "$env:RUNNER_TEMP\$db.log" -RedirectStandardError "$env:RUNNER_TEMP\$db.err.log"
+          }
 
-      - uses: ikalnytskyi/action-setup-postgres@v8
-        with:
-          username: ${{ env.POSTGRES_USER }}
-          password: ${{ env.POSTGRES_PASSWORD }}
-          database: ${{ env.TESTS_DB }}
-          postgres-version: "16"
-        id: postgres
-        
-      - name: Init PostgresSQL Schema
-        shell: powershell
-        run: psql -U $Env:POSTGRES_USER -f 'examples/config/postgresql/types/schema.sql' -f 'examples/config/postgresql/authors/schema.sql'
-        env:
-          PGSERVICE: ${{ steps.postgres.outputs.service-name }}
-          PGPASSWORD: ${{ env.POSTGRES_PASSWORD }}
-          
-      - uses: nick-fields/retry@v4
-        name: Install MySQL and restore test projects in parallel (with retry)
-        with:
-          retry_on: error
-          max_attempts: 2
-          timeout_minutes: 7
-          shell: pwsh
-          command: |
-            $mysqlJob = Start-Job -ScriptBlock { 
-              choco install mysql --no-progress -y --params "/serviceName:MySQL" 
-              return $LASTEXITCODE
-            }
-            
-            $restoreJob = Start-Job -ScriptBlock { 
-              Get-ChildItem -Path examples -Recurse -Filter *.csproj |
-                Where-Object { $_.FullName -like '*Legacy*' } |
-                ForEach-Object { nuget restore $_.FullName }
-              nuget restore ./end2end/EndToEndCommon/EndToEndCommon.csproj
-              nuget restore ./end2end/EndToEndTestsLegacy/EndToEndTestsLegacy.csproj
-              msbuild.exe ./end2end/EndToEndTestsLegacy/EndToEndTestsLegacy.csproj -p:Configuration=Release -p:FrameworkVersion=v4.7.2
-              return $LASTEXITCODE
-            }
-  
-            Wait-Job -Job $mysqlJob, $restoreJob
-            
-            $mysqlOutput = Receive-Job -Job $mysqlJob
-            $mysqlExitCode = @($mysqlOutput)[-1]
-            if ($mysqlExitCode -ne 0) {
-              Write-Error "MySQL install failed with exit code: $mysqlExitCode`n$mysqlOutput"
-              return $mysqlExitCode
-            }
-  
-            $restoreOutput = Receive-Job -Job $restoreJob
-            $restoreExitCode = @($restoreOutput)[-1]
-            if ($restoreExitCode -ne 0) {
-              Write-Error "Restore/build failed with exit code: $restoreExitCode`n$restoreOutput"
-              return $restoreExitCode
+          Get-ChildItem -Path examples -Recurse -Filter *.csproj |
+            Where-Object { $_.FullName -like '*Legacy*' } |
+            ForEach-Object { nuget restore $_.FullName }
+          nuget restore ./end2end/EndToEndCommon/EndToEndCommon.csproj
+          nuget restore ./end2end/EndToEndTestsLegacy/EndToEndTestsLegacy.csproj
+          msbuild.exe ./end2end/EndToEndTestsLegacy/EndToEndTestsLegacy.csproj -p:Configuration=Release -p:FrameworkVersion=v4.7.2 -m
+          $buildExit = $LASTEXITCODE
+
+          $dbJobs | Wait-Process -Timeout 180
+          $failed = $false
+          foreach ($db in 'postgres', 'mysql') {
+            if (-not (Select-String -Path "$env:RUNNER_TEMP\$db.log" -Pattern "$db ready" -Quiet)) {
+              Get-ChildItem $env:RUNNER_TEMP -Filter "$db*.log" | ForEach-Object { Write-Host "--- $_"; Get-Content $_ }
+              $failed = $true
             }
-          
-      - name: Init MySQL Schema
-        shell: powershell
-        run: |
-          $env:Path += ";C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\bin"
-          [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", $env:Path, "Machine")
-          mysql -u root -e "SET GLOBAL local_infile=1; CREATE DATABASE $Env:TESTS_DB;"
-          mysql -u root $Env:TESTS_DB --execute="source examples/config/mysql/types/schema.sql; source examples/config/mysql/authors/schema.sql;"    
+          }
+          if ($buildExit -ne 0 -or $failed) { exit 1 }
 
       - name: Run Tests
         shell: powershell