diff --git a/.github/workflows/lychee.yml b/.github/workflows/lychee.yml
index 87c4d83f116..1f0c46fae44 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lychee.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lychee.yml
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ jobs:
           # Keep SCM history/tags without downloading historical source blobs.
           filter: blob:none
           persist-credentials: false
+          # Rendered docs build cuda.core against the pinned CCCL headers.
+          submodules: ${{ matrix.kind == 'rendered' }}
 
       - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0