diff --git a/.github/actions/smoke-test-setup/action.yml b/.github/actions/smoke-test-setup/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..51ae79b57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/smoke-test-setup/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+name: "Smoke Test Setup"
+description: "Installs the packed testcontainers package and its production dependencies into an empty project"
+
+outputs:
+  path:
+    description: "Directory containing the smoke tests and the installed package"
+    value: ${{ steps.install.outputs.path }}
+
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+  steps:
+    - name: Build and pack testcontainers
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        npm run build --workspace packages/testcontainers
+        npm pack --workspace packages/testcontainers --pack-destination "${RUNNER_TEMP}"
+
+    - name: Install the package into an empty project
+      id: install
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        project="${RUNNER_TEMP}/smoke-test"
+        package="${project}/node_modules/testcontainers"
+
+        # Production dependencies only, at the versions in package-lock.json.
+        npm ci --omit=dev --workspace packages/testcontainers
+
+        mkdir "${project}"
+        echo '{ "private": true }' > "${project}/package.json"
+        cp .npmrc packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.* "${project}"
+        mv node_modules "${project}/node_modules"
+
+        # Replace the workspace link with the files that get published.
+        rm "${package}"
+        mkdir "${package}"
+        tar -xzf "${RUNNER_TEMP}"/testcontainers-*.tgz -C "${package}" --strip-components=1
+        if [ -d packages/testcontainers/node_modules ]; then
+          mv packages/testcontainers/node_modules "${package}/node_modules"
+        fi
+
+        echo "path=${project}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/checks.yml b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
index cf2ba23b3..b3fd9cbb0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
@@ -129,19 +129,21 @@ jobs:
           runner: ubuntu-24.04
           node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
           workspace: "testcontainers"
-      - name: Build testcontainers
-        run: npm run build --workspace packages/testcontainers
-      - name: Remove dev dependencies
-        run: npm prune --omit=dev --workspace packages/testcontainers
+      - name: Install the packed package
+        id: smoke-test
+        uses: ./.github/actions/smoke-test-setup
       - name: Run CommonJS module smoke test
-        run: node packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.js
+        working-directory: ${{ steps.smoke-test.outputs.path }}
+        run: node ./smoke-test.js
         env:
           DEBUG: "testcontainers*"
       - name: Run ES module smoke test
-        run: node packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.mjs
+        working-directory: ${{ steps.smoke-test.outputs.path }}
+        run: node ./smoke-test.mjs
         env:
           DEBUG: "testcontainers*"
       - name: Run Jest CommonJS runtime smoke test
+        working-directory: ${{ steps.smoke-test.outputs.path }}
         run: npm exec --yes --package jest@30.4.2 -- jest --testMatch "**/smoke-test.jest.js" --runInBand --transform "{}"
         env:
           DEBUG: "testcontainers*"
@@ -163,20 +165,21 @@ jobs:
           runner: ubuntu-24.04
           node-version: 24.x
           workspace: "testcontainers"
-      - name: Build testcontainers
-        run: npm run build --workspace packages/testcontainers
-      - name: Remove dev dependencies
-        run: npm prune --omit=dev --workspace packages/testcontainers
+      - name: Install the packed package
+        id: smoke-test
+        uses: ./.github/actions/smoke-test-setup
       - name: Install Bun
         uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@v2
         with:
           bun-version: 1.4.2
       - name: Run CommonJS module smoke test
-        run: bun packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.js
+        working-directory: ${{ steps.smoke-test.outputs.path }}
+        run: bun ./smoke-test.js
         env:
           DEBUG: "testcontainers*"
       - name: Run ES module smoke test
-        run: bun packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.mjs
+        working-directory: ${{ steps.smoke-test.outputs.path }}
+        run: bun ./smoke-test.mjs
         env:
           DEBUG: "testcontainers*"
 
diff --git a/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.jest.js b/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.jest.js
index a7e23dfcd..701133723 100644
--- a/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.jest.js
+++ b/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.jest.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { GenericContainer } = require("./build/index");
+const { GenericContainer } = require("testcontainers");
 
 jest.setTimeout(120_000);
 
diff --git a/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.js b/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.js
index 0da0d1d0f..e37646d8b 100644
--- a/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.js
+++ b/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { GenericContainer } = require("./build/index");
+const { GenericContainer } = require("testcontainers");
 
 (async () => {
   const container = await new GenericContainer("alpine:3.12").withCommand(["sleep", "infinity"]).start();
diff --git a/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.mjs b/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.mjs
index 2b23963f8..32ccc71f9 100644
--- a/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.mjs
+++ b/packages/testcontainers/smoke-test.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { GenericContainer } from "./build/index.js";
+import { GenericContainer } from "testcontainers";
 
 const container = await new GenericContainer("alpine:3.12").withCommand(["sleep", "infinity"]).start();