diff --git a/.ci/compile.sh b/.ci/compile.sh
index b644fa55f..ffa24b8e1 100755
--- a/.ci/compile.sh
+++ b/.ci/compile.sh
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ while [[ $# != 0 ]]; do
         shift
       fi
       ;;
+    '--vcpkg')
+      USE_VCPKG=1
+      shift
+      ;;
     '--dir')
       shift
       if [[ $# == 0 ]]; then
@@ -126,7 +130,10 @@ fi
 if [[ $PACKAGE_TYPE ]]; then
   flags+=("-DCPACK_GENERATOR=$PACKAGE_TYPE")
 fi
-  if [[ $TARGET_MACOS_VERSION ]]; then
+if [[ $USE_VCPKG ]]; then
+  flags+=("-DUSE_VCPKG=1")
+fi
+if [[ $TARGET_MACOS_VERSION ]]; then
   TRIPLETS_DIR="../cmake/triplets"
   mkdir -p "$TRIPLETS_DIR"
   # Replace dots with hyphens in triplet name for vcpkg compatibility
diff --git a/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml b/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
index 10947c620..e469a84b3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
@@ -9,20 +9,31 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - master
-    paths-ignore:
-      - '**.md'
-      - 'webclient/**'
-      - '.github/workflows/web-*.yml'
-      - '.github/workflows/translations-*.yml'
-      - '.github/workflows/docker-release.yml'
+    paths:
+      - '*/**'    # matches all files not in root
+      - '!**.md'
+      - '!.github/**'
+      - '!.husky/**'
+      - '!.tx/**'
+      - '!doc/**'
+      - '!webclient/**'
+      - '.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml'
+      - 'CMakeLists.txt'
+      - 'vcpkg.json'
     tags:
       - '*'
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - '**.md'
-      - 'webclient/**'
-      - '.github/workflows/web-*.yml'
-      - '.github/workflows/translations-*.yml'
+    paths:
+      - '*/**'    # matches all files not in root
+      - '!**.md'
+      - '!.github/**'
+      - '!.husky/**'
+      - '!.tx/**'
+      - '!doc/**'
+      - '!webclient/**'
+      - '.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml'
+      - 'CMakeLists.txt'
+      - 'vcpkg.json'
 
 # Cancel earlier, unfinished runs of this workflow on the same branch (unless on master)
 concurrency:
@@ -318,7 +329,7 @@ jobs:
           CMAKE_GENERATOR: '${{env.CMAKE_GENERATOR}}'
           VCPKG_DISABLE_METRICS: 1
           VCPKG_BINARY_SOURCES: 'clear;files,${{ steps.vcpkg-cache.outputs.path }},readwrite'
-        run: .ci/compile.sh --server --test --ccache "$CCACHE_SIZE" ${{ matrix.soc == 'Intel' && format('--target-macos-version {0}', matrix.target) || '' }}
+        run: .ci/compile.sh --server --test --ccache "$CCACHE_SIZE" --vcpkg ${{ matrix.soc == 'Intel' && format('--target-macos-version {0}', matrix.target) || '' }}
 
       - name: Sign app bundle
         if: matrix.make_package && (github.ref == 'refs/heads/master' || needs.configure.outputs.tag != null)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/desktop-lint.yml b/.github/workflows/desktop-lint.yml
index 39b68eb72..b8c015c16 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/desktop-lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/desktop-lint.yml
@@ -2,12 +2,20 @@ name: Code Style (C++)
 
 on:
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - '**.md'
-      - 'webclient/**'
-      - '.github/workflows/web-*.yml'
-      - '.github/workflows/translations-*.yml'
-      - '.github/workflows/docker-release.yml'
+    paths:
+      - '*/**'    # matches all files not in root
+      - '!**.md'
+      - '!.ci/**'
+      - '!.github/**'
+      - '!.husky'
+      - '!.tx'
+      - '!doc/**'
+      - '!webclient/**'
+      - '.github/workflows/desktop-lint.yml'
+      - '.ci/lint_cpp.sh'
+      - '.clang-format'
+      - '.cmake-format.json'
+      - 'format.sh'
 
 jobs:
   format:
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 34afff90b..4d2e4b145 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ option(WITH_ORACLE "build oracle" ON)
 option(WITH_DBCONVERTER "build dbconverter" ON)
 # Compile tests
 option(TEST "build tests" OFF)
+# Use vcpkg regardless of OS
+option(USE_VCPKG "Use vcpkg regardless of OS" OFF)
 
 # Default to "Release" build type
 # User-provided value for CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE must be checked before the PROJECT() call
@@ -48,8 +50,8 @@ if(USE_CCACHE)
   endif()
 endif()
 
-if(WIN32 OR APPLE)
-  # Use vcpkg toolchain on Windows and macOS
+if(WIN32 OR USE_VCPKG)
+  # Use vcpkg toolchain on Windows (and on macOS in CI)
   set(CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE
       ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vcpkg/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake
       CACHE STRING "Vcpkg toolchain file"