diff --git a/.github/workflows/continuous-building.yml b/.github/workflows/continuous-building.yml
index 335d8a99..df6a903c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/continuous-building.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/continuous-building.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         sudo apt update
         sudo apt install qtbase5-dev libqt5svg5-dev
+    - name: 'Linux: Install TBB and Embree, if using distro packages'
+      if: ${{ matrix.os == 'ubuntu-24.04' }}
+      run: |
+        sudo apt install libtbb-dev libembree-dev
+        echo "USE_SYSTEM_TBB_AND_EMBREE=1" >> $GITHUB_ENV
     - name: 'Linux: Build the artifact'
       if: startsWith(matrix.os, 'ubuntu-')
       run: ./build-linux-64.sh
diff --git a/build-linux-64.sh b/build-linux-64.sh
index fd3c5598..ba4fa379 100755
--- a/build-linux-64.sh
+++ b/build-linux-64.sh
@@ -14,20 +14,29 @@ cmake --version
 
 mkdir "$BUILD_DIR"
 cd "$BUILD_DIR"
-wget -q https://github.com/embree/embree/releases/download/v3.13.1/embree-3.13.1.x86_64.linux.tar.gz -O embree.tgz
-wget -q https://github.com/oneapi-src/oneTBB/releases/download/v2021.3.0/oneapi-tbb-2021.3.0-lin.tgz -O tbb.tgz
 
-tar xf embree.tgz
-tar xf tbb.tgz
-
-EMBREE_CMAKE_DIR="$(pwd)/embree-3.13.1.x86_64.linux/lib/cmake/embree-3.13.1"
-TBB_CMAKE_DIR="$(pwd)/oneapi-tbb-2021.3.0/lib/cmake"
-
-# check USE_ASAN environment variable (see cmake.yml)
-if [ "$USE_ASAN" == "YES" ]; then
-  cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$EMBREE_CMAKE_DIR;$TBB_CMAKE_DIR" -DENABLE_LIGHTPREVIEW=YES -DERICWTOOLS_ASAN=YES
+if [ "$USE_SYSTEM_TBB_AND_EMBREE" == "1" ]; then
+  if [ "$USE_ASAN" == "YES" ]; then
+    cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DERICWTOOLS_ASAN=YES
+  else
+    cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+  fi
 else
-  cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$EMBREE_CMAKE_DIR;$TBB_CMAKE_DIR"
+  wget -q https://github.com/embree/embree/releases/download/v3.13.1/embree-3.13.1.x86_64.linux.tar.gz -O embree.tgz
+  wget -q https://github.com/oneapi-src/oneTBB/releases/download/v2021.3.0/oneapi-tbb-2021.3.0-lin.tgz -O tbb.tgz
+
+  tar xf embree.tgz
+  tar xf tbb.tgz
+
+  EMBREE_CMAKE_DIR="$(pwd)/embree-3.13.1.x86_64.linux/lib/cmake/embree-3.13.1"
+  TBB_CMAKE_DIR="$(pwd)/oneapi-tbb-2021.3.0/lib/cmake"
+
+  # check USE_ASAN environment variable (see cmake.yml)
+  if [ "$USE_ASAN" == "YES" ]; then
+    cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$EMBREE_CMAKE_DIR;$TBB_CMAKE_DIR" -DENABLE_LIGHTPREVIEW=YES -DERICWTOOLS_ASAN=YES
+  else
+    cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$EMBREE_CMAKE_DIR;$TBB_CMAKE_DIR"
+  fi
 fi
 
 # not yet free of memory leaks, so don't abort on leak detection