diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index af77f82aa5..0a6e005c3c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ env:
   THREADS: 4
   CONFIG: RelWithDebInfo
   ALPAKA_BRANCH: 0.9.0
-  VCPKG_INSTALL_LIST: "fmt tinyobjloader xsimd boost-mp11 boost-atomic boost-smart-ptr boost-functional boost-container"
+  VCPKG_INSTALL: "vcpkg install fmt tinyobjloader boost-mp11 boost-atomic boost-smart-ptr boost-functional boost-container; vcpkg install --head xsimd"
 
 jobs:
   clang-format:
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ jobs:
         sudo apt install clang-14 libomp-14-dev clang-tidy-14
     - name: vcpkg install dependencies
       run: |
-        vcpkg install $VCPKG_INSTALL_LIST
+        eval $VCPKG_INSTALL
     - name: install alpaka
       run: |
         git clone https://github.com/alpaka-group/alpaka.git
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ jobs:
         sudo apt install lcov
     - name: vcpkg install dependencies
       run: |
-        vcpkg install $VCPKG_INSTALL_LIST
+        eval $VCPKG_INSTALL
     - name: cmake
       run: |
         mkdir build
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           # vcpkg fails to build with Intel compilers
           if [ ${{ matrix.install_oneapi }} ]; then unset CXX; fi
-          vcpkg install $VCPKG_INSTALL_LIST
+          eval $VCPKG_INSTALL
       - name: download CUDA
         if: matrix.cuda_url
         run: |
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ jobs:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
     - name: vcpkg install dependencies
       run: |
-        vcpkg install $VCPKG_INSTALL_LIST
+        eval $VCPKG_INSTALL
     - name: install alpaka
       run: |
         git clone --branch $ALPAKA_BRANCH --depth 1 https://github.com/alpaka-group/alpaka.git
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ jobs:
           brew install libomp
       - name: vcpkg install dependencies
         run: |
-          vcpkg install $VCPKG_INSTALL_LIST
+          eval $VCPKG_INSTALL
       - name: install alpaka
         run: |
           git clone --branch $ALPAKA_BRANCH --depth 1 https://github.com/alpaka-group/alpaka.git