diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index f0e3faf6a..ffbfb3c47 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   test-linux-amd64:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      RUST_LAUNCHER_VERSION: "v0.1.1-alpha.1"
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        launcher: [go, rust]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
@@ -31,11 +37,24 @@ jobs:
           curl -s -L -o deps/bin/jq https://github.com/stedolan/jq/releases/download/jq-1.6/jq-linux64
           chmod +x deps/bin/jq
           echo "${PWD}/deps/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
+      - name: Download Rust Launcher
+        if: matrix.launcher == 'rust'
+        run: |
+          wget https://github.com/hone/launcher-rs/releases/download/${{ env.RUST_LAUNCHER_VERSION }}/launcher-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tgz
+          tar -xzf launcher-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tgz
       - name: Test
         env:
           TEST_COVERAGE: 1
-        run: make test
+          CUSTOM_LAUNCHER_PATH: ${{ matrix.launcher == 'rust' && format('{0}/launcher', github.workspace) || '' }}
+        run: |
+          if [ "${{ matrix.launcher }}" == "rust" ]; then
+            make format tidy
+            go test -v -count=1 -tags=acceptance -timeout=2400s -run=TestLauncher ./acceptance/...
+          else
+            make test
+          fi
       - name: Upload coverage to Codecov
+        if: matrix.launcher == 'go'
         uses: codecov/codecov-action@v7
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}
@@ -45,6 +64,12 @@ jobs:
           verbose: true
   test-linux-arm64:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-arm
+    env:
+      RUST_LAUNCHER_VERSION: "v0.1.1-alpha.1"
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        launcher: [go, rust]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
@@ -54,10 +79,22 @@ jobs:
         with:
           check-latest: true
           go-version-file: 'go.mod'
+      - name: Download Rust Launcher
+        if: matrix.launcher == 'rust'
+        run: |
+          wget https://github.com/hone/launcher-rs/releases/download/${{ env.RUST_LAUNCHER_VERSION }}/launcher-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl.tgz
+          tar -xzf launcher-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl.tgz
       - name: Test
+        env:
+          CUSTOM_LAUNCHER_PATH: ${{ matrix.launcher == 'rust' && format('{0}/launcher', github.workspace) || '' }}
         run: |
-          make format || true
-          make test
+          if [ "${{ matrix.launcher }}" == "rust" ]; then
+            make format tidy || true
+            go test -v -count=1 -tags=acceptance -timeout=2400s -run=TestLauncher ./acceptance/...
+          else
+            make format || true
+            make test
+          fi
   build-and-publish:
     needs:
       - test-linux-amd64
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5a6dbdbc6..45a433b05 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -96,13 +96,19 @@ $$(BUILD_DIR)/$(1)-$(2)/lifecycle/launcher: export GOOS:=$(1)
 $$(BUILD_DIR)/$(1)-$(2)/lifecycle/launcher: export GOARCH:=$(2)
 $$(BUILD_DIR)/$(1)-$(2)/lifecycle/launcher: OUT_DIR?=$$(BUILD_DIR)/$$(GOOS)-$$(GOARCH)/lifecycle
 $$(BUILD_DIR)/$(1)-$(2)/lifecycle/launcher: $$(GOFILES)
-$$(BUILD_DIR)/$(1)-$(2)/lifecycle/launcher:
+$$(BUILD_DIR)/$(1)-$(2)/lifecycle/launcher: .FORCE
 	@echo "> Building lifecycle/launcher for $$(GOOS)/$$(GOARCH)..."
 	mkdir -p $$(OUT_DIR)
-	$$(GOENV) $$(GOBUILD) -o $$(OUT_DIR)/launcher -a ./cmd/launcher
+	if [ -n "$$(CUSTOM_LAUNCHER_PATH)" ]; then \
+		cp "$$(CUSTOM_LAUNCHER_PATH)" $$(OUT_DIR)/launcher; \
+	else \
+		$$(GOENV) $$(GOBUILD) -o $$(OUT_DIR)/launcher -a ./cmd/launcher; \
+	fi
 	test $$$$(du -m $$(OUT_DIR)/launcher|cut -f 1) -le 4
 endef
 
+.FORCE:
+
 $(foreach ga,$(GOOS_ARCHS),$(eval $(call build_targets,$(word 1, $(subst /, ,$(ga))),$(word 2, $(subst /, ,$(ga))))))
 
 generate-sbom: run-syft-linux-amd64 run-syft-linux-arm64 run-syft-linux-ppc64le run-syft-linux-s390x run-syft-freebsd-amd64 run-syft-freebsd-amd64 run-syft-freebsd-arm64