diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 899d497d8..79912c714 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@ on:
     branches: [ main ]
   pull_request:
     branches: [ '*' ]
+    # NOTE: these paths should be the same as the ones in ci_skipped.yml
+    paths-ignore:
+      - 'docs/**'
+      - '.all-contributorsrc'
+      - 'README.md'
+      - 'LICENSE'
+      - 'metrics/**'
 
 # Cancel old runs on the same branch (except on main)
 concurrency:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_skipped.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_skipped.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2c82fb75a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_skipped.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Workaround to skip the "required" check when jobs are skipped
+name: '*CI Skipped*'
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ '*' ]
+    paths:
+        - 'docs/**'
+        - '.all-contributorsrc'
+        - 'README.md'
+        - 'LICENSE'
+        - 'metrics/**'
+
+jobs:
+  compile-native:
+    name: Build native libraries
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    if: false
+    steps: [run: true]
+
+  build:
+    name: Build project
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    if: false
+    steps: [run: true]
+
+  smoke:
+    name: Start and stop the node
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    if: false
+    steps: [run: true]
+
+  test:
+    name: Test
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    if: false
+    steps: [run: true]
+
+  lint:
+    name: Lint
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    if: false
+    steps: [run: true]
+
+  # NOTE: matrix jobs aren't expanded if skipped
+  spectests:
+    name: Run spec-tests
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        config: ["minimal", "general", "mainnet"]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    steps: [run: true]