diff --git a/acceptance/testdata/runnerset.envsubst.yaml b/acceptance/testdata/runnerset.envsubst.yaml
index 220cf4e3..8a1edcdd 100644
--- a/acceptance/testdata/runnerset.envsubst.yaml
+++ b/acceptance/testdata/runnerset.envsubst.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+---
+apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
+kind: StorageClass
+metadata:
+  name: ${NAME}-runner-work-dir
+  labels:
+    content: ${NAME}-runner-work-dir
+provisioner: rancher.io/local-path
+reclaimPolicy: Delete
+volumeBindingMode: WaitForFirstConsumer
+---
 apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
 kind: StorageClass
 metadata:
@@ -109,7 +120,10 @@ spec:
           value: "${RUNNER_FEATURE_FLAG_EPHEMERAL}"
         - name: GOMODCACHE
           value: "/home/runner/.cache/go-mod"
+        # PV-backed runner work dir
         volumeMounts:
+        - name: work
+          mountPath: /runner/_work
         # Cache docker image layers, in case dockerdWithinRunnerContainer=true
         - name: var-lib-docker
           mountPath: /var/lib/docker
@@ -137,7 +151,10 @@ spec:
           mountPath: "/opt/hostedtoolcache"
       # Valid only when dockerdWithinRunnerContainer=false
       - name: docker
+        # PV-backed runner work dir
         volumeMounts:
+        - name: work
+          mountPath: /runner/_work
         # Cache docker image layers, in case dockerdWithinRunnerContainer=false
         - name: var-lib-docker
           mountPath: /var/lib/docker
@@ -146,6 +163,17 @@ spec:
         # For buildx cache
         - name: cache
           mountPath: "/home/runner/.cache"
+      volumes:
+      - name: work
+        ephemeral:
+          volumeClaimTemplate:
+            spec:
+              accessModes:
+              - ReadWriteOnce
+              storageClassName: "${NAME}-runner-work-dir"
+              resources:
+                requests:
+                  storage: 10Gi
   volumeClaimTemplates:
   - metadata:
       name: vol1
diff --git a/controllers/new_runner_pod_test.go b/controllers/new_runner_pod_test.go
index e98f11a5..a4436f36 100644
--- a/controllers/new_runner_pod_test.go
+++ b/controllers/new_runner_pod_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/actions-runner-controller/actions-runner-controller/github"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/resource"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	clientgoscheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
@@ -21,6 +22,11 @@ func TestNewRunnerPod(t *testing.T) {
 		want     corev1.Pod
 	}
 
+	tenGB, err := resource.ParseQuantity("10Gi")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("%v", err)
+	}
+
 	base := corev1.Pod{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 			Labels: map[string]string{
@@ -319,6 +325,27 @@ func TestNewRunnerPod(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
+	workGenericEphemeralVolume := corev1.Volume{
+		Name: "work",
+		VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
+			Ephemeral: &corev1.EphemeralVolumeSource{
+				VolumeClaimTemplate: &corev1.PersistentVolumeClaimTemplate{
+					Spec: corev1.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
+						AccessModes: []corev1.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{
+							corev1.ReadWriteOnce,
+						},
+						StorageClassName: strPtr("runner-work-dir"),
+						Resources: corev1.ResourceRequirements{
+							Requests: corev1.ResourceList{
+								corev1.ResourceStorage: tenGB,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
 	newTestPod := func(base corev1.Pod, f func(*corev1.Pod)) corev1.Pod {
 		pod := base.DeepCopy()
 		if f != nil {
@@ -391,6 +418,86 @@ func TestNewRunnerPod(t *testing.T) {
 				p.Spec.Containers[0].SecurityContext.Privileged = boolPtr(true)
 			}),
 		},
+		{
+			description: "Mount generic ephemeral volume onto work (with explicit volumeMount)",
+			template: corev1.Pod{
+				Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+					Containers: []corev1.Container{
+						{
+							Name: "runner",
+							VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{
+								{
+									Name:      "work",
+									MountPath: "/runner/_work",
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					Volumes: []corev1.Volume{
+						workGenericEphemeralVolume,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			want: newTestPod(base, func(p *corev1.Pod) {
+				p.Spec.Volumes = []corev1.Volume{
+					workGenericEphemeralVolume,
+					{
+						Name: "runner",
+						VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
+							EmptyDir: &corev1.EmptyDirVolumeSource{},
+						},
+					},
+					{
+						Name: "certs-client",
+						VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
+							EmptyDir: &corev1.EmptyDirVolumeSource{},
+						},
+					},
+				}
+				p.Spec.Containers[0].VolumeMounts = []corev1.VolumeMount{
+					{
+						Name:      "work",
+						MountPath: "/runner/_work",
+					},
+					{
+						Name:      "runner",
+						MountPath: "/runner",
+					},
+					{
+						Name:      "certs-client",
+						MountPath: "/certs/client",
+						ReadOnly:  true,
+					},
+				}
+			}),
+		},
+		{
+			description: "Mount generic ephemeral volume onto work (without explicit volumeMount)",
+			template: corev1.Pod{
+				Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+					Volumes: []corev1.Volume{
+						workGenericEphemeralVolume,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			want: newTestPod(base, func(p *corev1.Pod) {
+				p.Spec.Volumes = []corev1.Volume{
+					workGenericEphemeralVolume,
+					{
+						Name: "runner",
+						VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
+							EmptyDir: &corev1.EmptyDirVolumeSource{},
+						},
+					},
+					{
+						Name: "certs-client",
+						VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
+							EmptyDir: &corev1.EmptyDirVolumeSource{},
+						},
+					},
+				}
+			}),
+		},
 	}
 
 	var (
@@ -411,6 +518,10 @@ func TestNewRunnerPod(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func strPtr(s string) *string {
+	return &s
+}
+
 func TestNewRunnerPodFromRunnerController(t *testing.T) {
 	type testcase struct {
 		description string
diff --git a/controllers/runner_controller.go b/controllers/runner_controller.go
index 440811a6..cfb0025c 100644
--- a/controllers/runner_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/runner_controller.go
@@ -741,13 +741,18 @@ func newRunnerPod(runnerName string, template corev1.Pod, runnerSpec v1alpha1.Ru
 			)
 		}
 
-		pod.Spec.Volumes = append(pod.Spec.Volumes,
-			corev1.Volume{
-				Name: "work",
-				VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
-					EmptyDir: &corev1.EmptyDirVolumeSource{},
+		if ok, _ := workVolumePresent(pod.Spec.Volumes); !ok {
+			pod.Spec.Volumes = append(pod.Spec.Volumes,
+				corev1.Volume{
+					Name: "work",
+					VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
+						EmptyDir: &corev1.EmptyDirVolumeSource{},
+					},
 				},
-			},
+			)
+		}
+
+		pod.Spec.Volumes = append(pod.Spec.Volumes,
 			corev1.Volume{
 				Name: "certs-client",
 				VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
@@ -756,11 +761,16 @@ func newRunnerPod(runnerName string, template corev1.Pod, runnerSpec v1alpha1.Ru
 			},
 		)
 
+		if ok, _ := workVolumeMountPresent(runnerContainer.VolumeMounts); !ok {
+			runnerContainer.VolumeMounts = append(runnerContainer.VolumeMounts,
+				corev1.VolumeMount{
+					Name:      "work",
+					MountPath: workDir,
+				},
+			)
+		}
+
 		runnerContainer.VolumeMounts = append(runnerContainer.VolumeMounts,
-			corev1.VolumeMount{
-				Name:      "work",
-				MountPath: workDir,
-			},
 			corev1.VolumeMount{
 				Name:      "certs-client",
 				MountPath: "/certs/client",
diff --git a/test/e2e/e2e_test.go b/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
index 19b896c9..f570c147 100644
--- a/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
@@ -36,21 +36,21 @@ var (
 			EnableBuildX: true,
 		},
 		{
-			Dockerfile: "../../runner/Dockerfile",
+			Dockerfile: "../../runner/actions-runner.dockerfile",
 			Args: []testing.BuildArg{
 				{
 					Name:  "RUNNER_VERSION",
-					Value: "2.289.2",
+					Value: "2.291.1",
 				},
 			},
 			Image: runnerImage,
 		},
 		{
-			Dockerfile: "../../runner/Dockerfile.dindrunner",
+			Dockerfile: "../../runner/actions-runner-dind.dockerfile",
 			Args: []testing.BuildArg{
 				{
 					Name:  "RUNNER_VERSION",
-					Value: "2.289.2",
+					Value: "2.291.1",
 				},
 			},
 			Image: runnerDindImage,