diff --git a/.github/workflows/vmui.yml b/.github/workflows/vmui.yml
index dbf8afdab4..52bc72aa89 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/vmui.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/vmui.yml
@@ -34,33 +34,39 @@ jobs:
       - name: Code checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
-      - name: Setup Node
-        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
+      - name: Cache node_modules
+        id: cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v5
         with:
-          node-version: '24.x'
+          path: app/vmui/packages/vmui/node_modules
+          key: vmui-deps-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('app/vmui/packages/vmui/package-lock.json', 'app/vmui/Dockerfile-build') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            vmui-deps-${{ runner.os }}-
 
-      - name: Cache node-modules
-        uses: actions/cache@v4
-        with:
-          path: |
-            app/vmui/packages/vmui/node_modules
-          key: vmui-artifacts-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('package-lock.json') }}
-          restore-keys: vmui-artifacts-${{ runner.os }}-
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        if: steps.cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        run: make vmui-install
 
       - name: Run lint
         id: lint
         run: make vmui-lint
         continue-on-error: true
+        env:
+          VMUI_SKIP_INSTALL: true
 
       - name: Run tests
         id: test
         run: make vmui-test
         continue-on-error: true
+        env:
+          VMUI_SKIP_INSTALL: true
 
       - name: Run typecheck
         id: typecheck
         run: make vmui-typecheck
         continue-on-error: true
+        env:
+          VMUI_SKIP_INSTALL: true
 
       - name: Annotate Code Linting Results
         uses: ataylorme/eslint-annotate-action@v3
diff --git a/app/vmui/Makefile b/app/vmui/Makefile
index ec6061c677..d856dc0d47 100644
--- a/app/vmui/Makefile
+++ b/app/vmui/Makefile
@@ -1,18 +1,26 @@
 # All these commands must run from repository root.
-
 copy-metricsql-docs:
 	cp docs/victoriametrics/MetricsQL.md app/vmui/packages/vmui/src/assets/MetricsQL.md
 
 vmui-package-base-image:
 	docker build -t vmui-builder-image -f app/vmui/Dockerfile-build ./app/vmui
 
-vmui-build: copy-metricsql-docs vmui-package-base-image
+vmui-run-npm-command: vmui-package-base-image
 	docker run --rm \
 		--user $(shell id -u):$(shell id -g) \
 		--mount type=bind,src="$(shell pwd)/app/vmui",dst=/build \
 		-w /build/packages/vmui \
 		--entrypoint=/bin/bash \
-		vmui-builder-image -c "npm install && npm run build"
+		vmui-builder-image -c "[ \"$$VMUI_SKIP_INSTALL\" = \"true\" ] || npm ci; $(NPM_COMMAND)"
+
+vmui-install:
+	NPM_COMMAND="true" $(MAKE) vmui-run-npm-command
+
+vmui-package-base-image:
+	docker build -t vmui-builder-image -f app/vmui/Dockerfile-build ./app/vmui
+
+vmui-build: copy-metricsql-docs
+	NPM_COMMAND="npm run build" $(MAKE) vmui-run-npm-command
 
 vmui-release: vmui-build
 	docker build -t ${DOCKER_NAMESPACE}/vmui:latest -f app/vmui/Dockerfile-web ./app/vmui/packages/vmui
@@ -30,11 +38,11 @@ vmui-update: vmui-build
 vmui-install-dependencies:
 	cd app/vmui/packages/vmui && npm ci
 
-vmui-lint: vmui-install-dependencies
-	cd app/vmui/packages/vmui && npm run lint
+vmui-lint:
+	NPM_COMMAND="npm run lint" $(MAKE) vmui-run-npm-command
 
-vmui-typecheck: vmui-install-dependencies
-	cd app/vmui/packages/vmui && npm run typecheck
+vmui-typecheck:
+	NPM_COMMAND="npm run typecheck" $(MAKE) vmui-run-npm-command
 
-vmui-test: vmui-install-dependencies
-	cd app/vmui/packages/vmui && npm run test
+vmui-test:
+	NPM_COMMAND="npm run test" $(MAKE) vmui-run-npm-command