diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
index c55b520..043ec34 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -206,24 +206,47 @@ jobs:
       - name: Image vulnerabilities
         run: |
           image="${TRIVY_IMAGE:-aquasec/trivy:0.58.1}"
-          failed=0
+          # One database download for the four scans, kept in a volume between
+          # runs and retried: a failed download from the mirror used to fail
+          # the gate as if a CRITICAL vulnerability had been found.
+          trivy() { docker run --rm -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
+            -v dtf-trivy-cache:/root/.cache/trivy "$image" "$@"; }
+          for attempt in 1 2 3; do
+            trivy image --download-db-only --no-progress && break
+            if [ "$attempt" -eq 3 ]; then
+              echo "::error::The vulnerability database could not be downloaded; the release images were not scanned."
+              exit 1
+            fi
+            echo "Database download failed (attempt $attempt); retrying in 30 s."
+            sleep 30
+          done
+          # Findings exit 5; any other failure means the scan did not run.
+          found=0; broken=0
           for target in \
               "gitea.blyzer.com.br/blyzer/dtf-api:${{ gitea.sha }}" \
               "gitea.blyzer.com.br/blyzer/dtf-web:${{ gitea.sha }}"; do
             echo "--- $target (HIGH, reported)"
-            docker run --rm -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock "$image" \
-              image --image-src docker --scanners vuln --severity HIGH --no-progress \
+            trivy image --skip-db-update --image-src docker --scanners vuln --severity HIGH --no-progress \
               --format table --exit-code 0 "$target" ||
               echo "::warning::Could not scan $target for HIGH findings"
             echo "--- $target (CRITICAL, blocking)"
-            docker run --rm -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock "$image" \
-              image --image-src docker --scanners vuln --severity CRITICAL --no-progress \
-              --format table --exit-code 1 "$target" || failed=1
+            set +e
+            trivy image --skip-db-update --image-src docker --scanners vuln --severity CRITICAL --no-progress \
+              --format table --exit-code 5 "$target"
+            verdict=$?
+            set -e
+            if [ "$verdict" -eq 5 ]; then found=1
+            elif [ "$verdict" -ne 0 ]; then broken=1; echo "::error::The CRITICAL scan of $target did not run (exit $verdict)."
+            fi
           done
-          if [ "$failed" -ne 0 ]; then
+          if [ "$found" -ne 0 ]; then
             echo "::error::A CRITICAL vulnerability was found in a release image."
             exit 1
           fi
+          if [ "$broken" -ne 0 ]; then
+            echo "::error::A release image could not be scanned; nothing is published unscanned."
+            exit 1
+          fi
 
       - name: Publish validated images
         run: |