diff --git a/.github/actions/install-rust/action.yml b/.github/actions/install-rust/action.yml
index d8016f78e9..bf50acf267 100644
--- a/.github/actions/install-rust/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/install-rust/action.yml
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ runs:
         EOF
         fi
 
+        # Use a more efficient method for fetching the crates.io-index than
+        # the (currently) default git-based index.
+        cat >> "$GITHUB_ENV" <<EOF
+        CARGO_REGISTRIES_CRATES_IO_PROTOCOL=sparse
+        EOF
+
     - name: Choose registry cache key
       shell: bash
       # Update the registry index cache at most once per day. actions/cache
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 064179ea07..1ceb2e2b08 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ jobs:
         submodules: true
     - uses: ./.github/actions/install-rust
       with:
-        toolchain: nightly-2022-12-15
+        toolchain: nightly-2023-03-20
 
     # Build C API documentation
     - run: curl -L https://sourceforge.net/projects/doxygen/files/rel-1.9.3/doxygen-1.9.3.linux.bin.tar.gz/download | tar xzf -
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ jobs:
     # flags to rustc.
     - uses: ./.github/actions/install-rust
       with:
-        toolchain: nightly-2022-12-15
+        toolchain: nightly-2023-03-20
     - run: cargo install cargo-fuzz --vers "^0.11"
     # Install the OCaml packages necessary for fuzz targets that use the
     # `wasm-spec-interpreter`.