diff --git a/.github/workflows/wheels-dependencies.sh b/.github/workflows/wheels-dependencies.sh
index d53cf059b..a4592871f 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/wheels-dependencies.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/wheels-dependencies.sh
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ function build_harfbuzz {
 
     local out_dir=$(fetch_unpack https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/releases/download/$HARFBUZZ_VERSION/harfbuzz-$HARFBUZZ_VERSION.tar.xz harfbuzz-$HARFBUZZ_VERSION.tar.xz)
     (cd $out_dir \
-        && meson setup build --prefix=$BUILD_PREFIX --libdir=$BUILD_PREFIX/lib --buildtype=release -Dfreetype=enabled -Dglib=disabled -Dtests=disabled)
+        && meson setup build --prefix=$BUILD_PREFIX --libdir=$BUILD_PREFIX/lib --buildtype=minsize -Dfreetype=enabled -Dglib=disabled -Dtests=disabled)
     (cd $out_dir/build \
         && meson install)
     touch harfbuzz-stamp