diff --git a/.github/workflows/rust.yml b/.github/workflows/rust.yml
index 37baeacb932..90831341d6c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/rust.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/rust.yml
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           export CARGO_HOME="/github/home/.cargo"
           export CARGO_TARGET_DIR="/github/home/target"
+          # do not produce debug symbols to keep memory usage down
+          export RUSTFLAGS="-C debuginfo=0"
           cd rust
           cargo build
 
@@ -108,6 +110,8 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           export CARGO_HOME="/github/home/.cargo"
           export CARGO_TARGET_DIR="/github/home/target"
+          # do not produce debug symbols to keep memory usage down
+          export RUSTFLAGS="-C debuginfo=0"
           cd rust
           # run tests on all workspace members with default feature list
           cargo test
@@ -162,6 +166,8 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           export CARGO_HOME="/github/home/.cargo"
           export CARGO_TARGET_DIR="/github/home/target"
+          # do not produce debug symbols to keep memory usage down
+          export RUSTFLAGS="-C debuginfo=0"
           cd rust/arrow
           cargo test --features "simd"
 
@@ -388,5 +394,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           export CARGO_HOME="/github/home/.cargo"
           export CARGO_TARGET_DIR="/github/home/target"
+          # do not produce debug symbols to keep memory usage down
+          export RUSTFLAGS="-C debuginfo=0"
           cd rust/arrow
           cargo build --target wasm32-unknown-unknown