diff --git a/scripts/pipeline.py b/scripts/pipeline.py
index 738a9a03..5cd4d3c9 100644
--- a/scripts/pipeline.py
+++ b/scripts/pipeline.py
@@ -182,7 +182,10 @@ def run(cmd: list[str], label: str) -> tuple[bool, str]:
     lines: list[str] = []
     with subprocess.Popen(
         cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, text=True,
-        cwd=repo_root, env={**os.environ, "PYTHONUNBUFFERED": "1"},
+        # Node's compile cache lands in /tmp, a 4 GB tmpfs here: the site
+        # build filled it to 3.4 GB across a day of pipeline runs.
+        cwd=repo_root,
+        env={**os.environ, "PYTHONUNBUFFERED": "1", "NODE_DISABLE_COMPILE_CACHE": "1"},
     ) as proc:
         for line in proc.stdout:
             lines.append(line)
diff --git a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
index 80e23b07..39097b78 100644
--- a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
@@ -6726,3 +6726,12 @@ class NoArchiveRepeatsAMemberName(unittest.TestCase):
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
+
+
+class PipelineChildrenSkipNodeCompileCache(unittest.TestCase):
+    """The site build's compile cache filled the 4 GB /tmp tmpfs to 3.4 GB:
+    every child the pipeline starts carries NODE_DISABLE_COMPILE_CACHE."""
+
+    def test_the_run_helper_sets_it(self):
+        source = (ROOT / "scripts" / "pipeline.py").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        self.assertIn('"NODE_DISABLE_COMPILE_CACHE": "1"', source)