diff --git a/.github/workflows/treadmill-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/treadmill-ci.yml
index 31d0eef..34355d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/treadmill-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/treadmill-ci.yml
@@ -190,9 +190,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Disable wget progress output
         run: |
           echo "verbose = off" >> $HOME/.wgetrc
-      - name: enable gpio permissions
-        run: |
-          sudo adduser $(whoami) gpio
       - name: Checkout the Tock Hardware CI scripts
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
@@ -224,7 +221,8 @@ jobs:
           sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt update || true
           sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt install -y \
             git cargo openocd python3 python3-pip python3-serial \
-            python3-pexpect gcc-arm-none-eabi libnewlib-arm-none-eabi \
+            python3-pexpect pigpio python3-pigpio \
+            libnewlib-arm-none-eabi gcc-arm-none-eabi \
             pkg-config libudev-dev cmake libusb-1.0-0-dev udev make \
             gdb-multiarch gcc-arm-none-eabi build-essential jq || true
 
@@ -232,6 +230,11 @@ jobs:
           curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf \
             https://github.com/probe-rs/probe-rs/releases/latest/download/probe-rs-tools-installer.sh \
             | sh
+      - name: enable gpio permissions
+        run: |
+          sudo pigpiod
+          sudo adduser $(whoami) gpio
+          sudo systemctl status pigpiod
       - name: Create Python virtual environment and install required dependencies
         run: |
           python3 -m venv ./hwcienv