diff --git a/.github/actions/build/action.yml b/.github/actions/build/action.yml
index 90bbada7..0df2e4c0 100644
--- a/.github/actions/build/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/build/action.yml
@@ -34,9 +34,13 @@ runs:
 
     - uses: lukka/run-vcpkg@v11
       with:
-        # use 2024.08.23 vcpkg baseline,
-        # see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/vcpkg/users/examples/versioning.getting-started#builtin-baseline
-        vcpkgGitCommitId: '3508985146f1b1d248c67ead13f8f54be5b4f5da'
+        # get baseline from vcpkg
+        vcpkgJsonGlob: './vcpkg.json'
+
+    - uses: actions/cache@v4
+      with:
+        key: deps-${{ inputs.preset }}-${{ hashFiles('./vcpkg.json') }}
+        path: './vcpkg/packages'
 
     - uses: lukka/run-cmake@v10.6 # pin version to avoid failed glibc dependency on ubuntu 20 runners. go back to @latest when ubuntu 22+ is adopted for runner os.
       name: Configure CMake
diff --git a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-8/Dockerfile b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-8/Dockerfile
index 00458373..f1a2b668 100644
--- a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-8/Dockerfile
+++ b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-8/Dockerfile
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ ENV VCPKG_ROOT=/usr/local/vcpkg
 ENV VCPKG_FORCE_SYSTEM_BINARIES=yes
 
 RUN cd /usr/local \
-    && git clone --branch 2024.08.23 https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg \
+    && git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg \
     && ./vcpkg/bootstrap-vcpkg.sh -disableMetrics
 
 WORKDIR /github/workspace
diff --git a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-9/Dockerfile b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-9/Dockerfile
index 4765262c..8abfca4b 100644
--- a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-9/Dockerfile
+++ b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/redhat-9/Dockerfile
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 ARG CMAKE_VERSION="3.26.3"
-ARG VCPKG_VERSION="2024.08.23"
 
 FROM rockylinux:9
 
 ARG CMAKE_VERSION
-ARG VCPKG_VERSION
 
 LABEL org.opencontainers.image.authors="support@netfoundry.io"
 
@@ -46,7 +44,7 @@ ENV VCPKG_ROOT=/usr/local/vcpkg
 ENV VCPKG_FORCE_SYSTEM_BINARIES=yes
 
 RUN cd /usr/local \
-    && git clone --branch "${VCPKG_VERSION}" https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg \
+    && git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg \
     && ./vcpkg/bootstrap-vcpkg.sh -disableMetrics \
     && chmod -R ugo+rwX /usr/local/vcpkg
 
diff --git a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-20.04/Dockerfile b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-20.04/Dockerfile
index 610ac5f0..6a950ce9 100644
--- a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-20.04/Dockerfile
+++ b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-20.04/Dockerfile
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ ENV VCPKG_FORCE_SYSTEM_BINARIES=yes
 
 RUN cd /usr/local \
     && git config --global advice.detachedHead false \
-    && git clone --branch 2024.08.23 https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg \
+    && git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg \
     && ./vcpkg/bootstrap-vcpkg.sh -disableMetrics
 
 COPY ./entrypoint.sh /root/
diff --git a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-22.04/Dockerfile b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-22.04/Dockerfile
index c06545f9..ec3784b3 100644
--- a/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-22.04/Dockerfile
+++ b/.github/actions/openziti-tunnel-build-action/ubuntu-22.04/Dockerfile
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 ARG CMAKE_VERSION="3.26.3"
-ARG VCPKG_VERSION="2024.08.23"
 
 # Ubuntu Jammy 22.04 LTS
 FROM ubuntu:jammy
 
 ARG CMAKE_VERSION
-ARG VCPKG_VERSION
 
 LABEL org.opencontainers.image.authors="support@netfoundry.io"
 
@@ -59,7 +57,7 @@ ENV VCPKG_FORCE_SYSTEM_BINARIES=yes
 
 RUN cd /usr/local \
     && git config --global advice.detachedHead false \
-    && git clone --branch "${VCPKG_VERSION}" https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg \
+    && git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg \
     && ./vcpkg/bootstrap-vcpkg.sh -disableMetrics
 
 COPY ./entrypoint.sh /root/
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2d216998..b9052026 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.21)
 
 
 set(ZITI_SDK_DIR "" CACHE FILEPATH "developer option: use local ziti-sdk-c checkout")
-set(ZITI_SDK_VERSION "2.0.0-alpha28" CACHE STRING "ziti-sdk-c version or branch to use")
+set(ZITI_SDK_VERSION "2.0.0-alpha29" CACHE STRING "ziti-sdk-c version or branch to use")
 
 # if TUNNEL_SDK_ONLY then don't descend into programs/ziti-edge-tunnel
 option(TUNNEL_SDK_ONLY "build only ziti-tunnel-sdk (without ziti)" OFF)