diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 46d9242..6eff1df 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,21 @@ name: CI
 on:
   push:
     branches: [main]
+    # Prose cannot break a build. Provider JSON can, so it is NOT ignored —
+    # the last step here fails if any providers/*.json stops parsing.
+    paths-ignore:
+      - '**/*.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
+      - 'demo/**'
+      - '.gitignore'
+      - 'LICENSE'
   pull_request:
+    paths-ignore:
+      - '**/*.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
+      - 'demo/**'
+      - '.gitignore'
+      - 'LICENSE'
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 concurrency:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker.yml b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
index 9664618..406076a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,19 @@ on:
   push:
     branches: [main]
     tags: ['v*.*.*']
+    paths-ignore:
+      - '**/*.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
+      - 'demo/**'
+      - '.gitignore'
+      - 'LICENSE'
   pull_request:
+    paths-ignore:
+      - '**/*.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
+      - 'demo/**'
+      - '.gitignore'
+      - 'LICENSE'
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 env:
@@ -29,6 +41,8 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Set up QEMU
+        # Only needed to cross-build arm64, which only tagged releases do.
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
         uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
 
       - name: Set up Buildx
@@ -65,7 +79,9 @@ jobs:
         uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
         with:
           context: .
-          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
+          # Multi-arch on releases; native-only otherwise, since emulating
+          # arm64 is most of the build time and nothing consumes it per-commit.
+          platforms: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') && 'linux/amd64,linux/arm64' || 'linux/amd64' }}
           push: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
           tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
           labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3311d01..7e1b660 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -486,6 +486,10 @@ gateway flatly refuses to bind one with no keys at all.
 
 ## Development
 
+CI runs on code changes only — a README or `demo/` commit skips it. `[skip ci]`
+in a commit message skips it outright, and the arm64 image is only cross-built
+for tagged releases, since emulating it is most of the Docker job.
+
 ```bash
 ./scripts/demo.sh                     # scripted walkthrough against your providers
 node scripts/record-dashboard.mjs     # re-record the dashboard GIF