diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-and-test.yml b/.github/workflows/build-and-test.yml
index 6d46cbae3d..4d94a2d753 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-and-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-and-test.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: "3.6"
       - name: Gradle build (and test)
-        run: ./gradlew build -x :metadata-io:test -x :metadata-ingestion:build -x :metadata-ingestion:check -x docs-website:build
+        # there is some race condition in gradle build, which makes gradle never terminate in ~30% of the runs
+        # running build first without datahub-web-react:yarnBuild and then with it is 100% stable
+        # datahub-frontend:unzipAssets depends on datahub-web-react:yarnBuild but gradle does not know about it
+        run: |
+          ./gradlew build -x :metadata-ingestion:build -x :metadata-ingestion:check -x docs-website:build -x datahub-web-react:yarnBuild -x datahub-frontend:unzipAssets
+          ./gradlew build -x :metadata-ingestion:build -x :metadata-ingestion:check -x docs-website:build
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
         if: always()
         with: