diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/start-radicale.sh b/.gitea/scripts/start-radicale.sh
index e3d4774..585e860 100755
--- a/.gitea/scripts/start-radicale.sh
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/start-radicale.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ htpasswd_encryption = plain
 [storage]
 filesystem_folder = $work/data
 CONF
-"$python" -m radicale --config "$work/config" > "$work/radicale.log" 2>&1 &
+# nohup: the server has to outlive this step's shell - the suite runs in the next step.
+nohup "$python" -m radicale --config "$work/config" > "$work/radicale.log" 2>&1 &
 # The readiness probe uses the same Python, not curl: ci.yml's job image has no curl.
 ready='
 import base64, sys, urllib.request
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index 96f5f13..8ce9d34 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -132,6 +132,14 @@ jobs:
           .venv/bin/python -m pytest -q \
             --cov --cov-report=term --cov-report=xml --cov-report=html
 
+      - name: Start Radicale
+        # Its own step because the script hands the server's address to the suite through
+        # $GITHUB_ENV, which only reaches the steps after the one that wrote it.
+        run: |
+          set -eu
+          tools/.venv/bin/pip install --quiet radicale
+          .gitea/scripts/start-radicale.sh tools/.venv/bin/python /tmp/radicale
+
       - name: Live tracker suite (CalDAV)
         # The one live tracker that needs no app and no display: a throwaway Radicale on
         # loopback. `CHEMENU_LIVE_REQUIRE=caldav` turns "no server" into a failure - without
@@ -142,8 +150,6 @@ jobs:
           CHEMENU_LIVE_REQUIRE: caldav
         run: |
           set -eu
-          tools/.venv/bin/pip install --quiet radicale
-          .gitea/scripts/start-radicale.sh tools/.venv/bin/python /tmp/radicale
           cd tools
           .venv/bin/python -m pytest -q -m live_tracker -k caldav -s