diff --git a/.github/workflows/cpu-torch-latest.yml b/.github/workflows/cpu-torch-latest.yml
index 7a4952f18987..3aaf30bc42ad 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cpu-torch-latest.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cpu-torch-latest.yml
@@ -32,11 +32,6 @@ on:
         default: 'main'
         type: string
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - 'docs/**'
-      - 'blogs/**'
-      - 'deepspeed/inference/v2/**'
-      - 'tests/unit/inference/v2/**'
   merge_group:
     branches: [ master ]
   schedule:
@@ -47,8 +42,39 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+  check-paths:
+    name: cpu-torch-latest / check paths
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: read
+    outputs:
+      should_run: ${{ steps.non_pr.outputs.should_run || steps.filter.outputs.run_tests }}
+    steps:
+      - id: non_pr
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+        run: echo "should_run=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+
+      - uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
+        id: filter
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+        with:
+          predicate-quantifier: every
+          filters: |
+            run_tests:
+              - '**'
+              - '!docs/**'
+              - '!blogs/**'
+              - '!deepspeed/inference/v2/**'
+              - '!tests/unit/inference/v2/**'
+
   unit-tests:
     name: cpu-torch-latest / unit tests
+    needs: check-paths
+    if: always() && (needs.check-paths.result != 'success' || needs.check-paths.outputs.should_run == 'true')
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
 
     env:
@@ -58,6 +84,10 @@ jobs:
       DEFAULT_TRANSFORMERS_REF: 'main'
 
     steps:
+      - name: Fail if path filter failed
+        if: needs.check-paths.result != 'success'
+        run: exit 1
+
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - id: setup-venv
diff --git a/.github/workflows/modal-torch-latest.yml b/.github/workflows/modal-torch-latest.yml
index dec100331472..ffa5ef9c8a0f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/modal-torch-latest.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/modal-torch-latest.yml
@@ -47,11 +47,6 @@ on:
       - master
 
   pull_request_target:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - 'docs/**'
-      - 'blogs/**'
-      - 'deepspeed/inference/v2/**'
-      - 'tests/unit/inference/v2/**'
     types: [review_requested, ready_for_review, synchronize]
     branches:
       - master
@@ -68,7 +63,7 @@ jobs:
       contents: read
       pull-requests: read
     outputs:
-      deepspeed: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.deepspeed }}
+      deepspeed: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.deepspeed == 'true' || steps.filter.outputs.modal_workflow == 'true' || steps.filter.outputs.ci == 'true' || steps.filter.outputs.unit_tests == 'true' || steps.filter.outputs.csrc == 'true' }}
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
@@ -81,29 +76,32 @@ jobs:
         id: filter
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          predicate-quantifier: every
           filters: |
             deepspeed:
               - 'deepspeed/**'
+              - '!deepspeed/inference/v2/**'
+            modal_workflow:
               - '.github/workflows/modal*.yml'
+            ci:
               - 'ci/**'
+            unit_tests:
               - 'tests/unit/**'
+              - '!tests/unit/inference/v2/**'
+            csrc:
               - 'csrc/**'
 
   deploy:
     name: modal-torch-latest / DeepSpeedAI CI
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: collect-tests
-    env:
-      # these are created at https://modal.com/settings/deepspeedai/tokens
-      # they are then added to the repo's secrets at https://github.com/deepspeedai/deepspeed/settings/secrets/actions
-      MODAL_TOKEN_ID: ${{ secrets.MODAL_TOKEN_ID }}
-      MODAL_TOKEN_SECRET: ${{ secrets.MODAL_TOKEN_SECRET }}
-      # this one comes from https://huggingface.co/settings/profile of the bot user
-      # and it too is then updated at https://github.com/deepspeedai/deepspeed/settings/secrets/actions
-      HF_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.HF_TOKEN }}
 
-    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' || needs.collect-tests.outputs.deepspeed == 'true'
+    if: always() && (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' || needs.collect-tests.result != 'success' || needs.collect-tests.outputs.deepspeed == 'true')
     steps:
+      - name: Fail if path filter failed
+        if: github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch' && needs.collect-tests.result != 'success'
+        run: exit 1
+
       - name: Checkout Repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
@@ -125,5 +123,12 @@ jobs:
           MODAL_TORCH_PRESET: ${{ github.event.inputs.torch_preset || '2.10.0-cuda12.8' }}
           MODAL_TRANSFORMERS_SOURCE: ${{ github.event.inputs.transformers_source || 'git' }}
           MODAL_TRANSFORMERS_REF: ${{ github.event.inputs.transformers_ref || 'main' }}
+          # these are created at https://modal.com/settings/deepspeedai/tokens
+          # they are then added to the repo's secrets at https://github.com/deepspeedai/deepspeed/settings/secrets/actions
+          MODAL_TOKEN_ID: ${{ secrets.MODAL_TOKEN_ID }}
+          MODAL_TOKEN_SECRET: ${{ secrets.MODAL_TOKEN_SECRET }}
+          # this one comes from https://huggingface.co/settings/profile of the bot user
+          # and it too is then updated at https://github.com/deepspeedai/deepspeed/settings/secrets/actions
+          HF_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.HF_TOKEN }}
         run: |
           modal run -m ci.torch_latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nv-pre-compile-ops.yml b/.github/workflows/nv-pre-compile-ops.yml
index 3e82eddaba26..1f369755775b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nv-pre-compile-ops.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nv-pre-compile-ops.yml
@@ -5,11 +5,6 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     branches:
       '**'
-    paths-ignore:
-      - 'docs/**'
-      - 'blogs/**'
-      - 'deepspeed/inference/v2/**'
-      - 'tests/unit/inference/v2/**'
   merge_group:
     branches: [ master ]
   schedule:
@@ -20,13 +15,48 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+  check-paths:
+    name: nv-pre-compile-ops / check paths
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: read
+    outputs:
+      should_run: ${{ steps.non_pr.outputs.should_run || steps.filter.outputs.run_tests }}
+    steps:
+      - id: non_pr
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+        run: echo "should_run=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+
+      - uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
+        id: filter
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+        with:
+          predicate-quantifier: every
+          filters: |
+            run_tests:
+              - '**'
+              - '!docs/**'
+              - '!blogs/**'
+              - '!deepspeed/inference/v2/**'
+              - '!tests/unit/inference/v2/**'
+
   unit-tests:
     name: nv-pre-compile-ops / precompile ops
+    needs: check-paths
+    if: always() && (needs.check-paths.result != 'success' || needs.check-paths.outputs.should_run == 'true')
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     container:
       image: nvidia/cuda:12.6.3-devel-ubuntu22.04
 
     steps:
+        - name: Fail if path filter failed
+          if: needs.check-paths.result != 'success'
+          run: exit 1
+
         - name: Install system dependencies
           run: |
             apt-get update && apt-get install -y git python3 python3-pip libaio-dev ninja-build
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python.yml b/.github/workflows/python.yml
index f9a2d9f3fb2d..f9fe1fbf7854 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python.yml
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     branches:
       '**'
-    paths-ignore:
-      - 'docs/**'
-      - 'blogs/**'
   merge_group:
     branches: [ master ]
   schedule:
@@ -18,8 +15,37 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+  check-paths:
+    name: python / check paths
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: read
+    outputs:
+      should_run: ${{ steps.non_pr.outputs.should_run || steps.filter.outputs.run_tests }}
+    steps:
+      - id: non_pr
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+        run: echo "should_run=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+
+      - uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
+        id: filter
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+        with:
+          predicate-quantifier: every
+          filters: |
+            run_tests:
+              - '**'
+              - '!docs/**'
+              - '!blogs/**'
+
   unit-tests:
     name: python / install smoke (Python ${{ matrix.pyVersion }})
+    needs: check-paths
+    if: always()
     strategy:
       matrix:
         pyVersion: ["3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
@@ -30,21 +56,35 @@ jobs:
       image: python:${{ matrix.pyVersion }}-slim
 
     steps:
+        - name: Fail if path filter failed
+          if: needs.check-paths.result != 'success'
+          run: exit 1
+
+        - name: Skip ignored-path install smoke
+          if: needs.check-paths.outputs.should_run != 'true'
+          run: echo "Only ignored paths changed; install smoke intentionally skipped."
+
         - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+          if: needs.check-paths.outputs.should_run == 'true'
 
         - name: Install build dependencies
+          if: needs.check-paths.outputs.should_run == 'true'
           run: |
             apt-get update && apt-get install -y build-essential ninja-build
         - name: environment
+          if: needs.check-paths.outputs.should_run == 'true'
           run: |
             which python
             python --version
         - name: Install PyTorch (CPU)
+          if: needs.check-paths.outputs.should_run == 'true'
           run: |
             pip install torch --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cpu
         - name: Install deepspeed
+          if: needs.check-paths.outputs.should_run == 'true'
           run: |
             pip install .
         - name: DS Report
+          if: needs.check-paths.outputs.should_run == 'true'
           run: |
              ds_report