diff --git a/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml b/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
index 90ccd0915..3c17ad7fb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ on:
     branches:
       - master
     paths:
-      - '**'
+      - '*/**'    # matches all files not in root
       - '!**.md'
       - '!.github/**'
       - '!.husky/**'
@@ -18,11 +18,13 @@ on:
       - '!doc/**'
       - '!webclient/**'
       - '.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml'
+      - 'CMakeLists.txt'
+      - 'vcpkg.json'
     tags:
       - '*'
   pull_request:
     paths:
-      - '**'
+      - '*/**'    # matches all files not in root
       - '!**.md'
       - '!.github/**'
       - '!.husky/**'
@@ -30,6 +32,8 @@ on:
       - '!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:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/desktop-lint.yml b/.github/workflows/desktop-lint.yml
index 9f0bcf8a1..b8c015c16 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/desktop-lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/desktop-lint.yml
@@ -3,14 +3,19 @@ name: Code Style (C++)
 on:
   pull_request:
     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: