diff --git a/.github/actions/golangci-lint/action.yml b/.github/actions/golangci-lint/action.yml
index 20ad2689deb..d81555d974b 100644
--- a/.github/actions/golangci-lint/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/golangci-lint/action.yml
@@ -42,10 +42,6 @@ runs:
     - name: Touching core/web/assets/index.html
       shell: bash
       run: mkdir -p core/web/assets && touch core/web/assets/index.html
-    - name: Build binary
-      working-directory: ${{ inputs.go-directory }}
-      shell: bash
-      run: go build ./...
     - name: Set golangci-lint working directory
       shell: bash
       id: set-working-directory
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
index c38ecd918ae..b415e9889e2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ jobs:
     permissions:
       pull-requests: read
     outputs:
+      affected-packages: ${{ steps.affected-modules.outputs.changes }}
       deployment-changes: ${{ steps.match-some.outputs.deployment == 'true' }}
       should-run-ci-core: ${{ steps.match-some.outputs.core-ci == 'true' || steps.match-every.outputs.non-ignored == 'true' ||  github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' || github.event_name == 'schedule' }}
       should-run-golangci: ${{ steps.match-some.outputs.golang-ci == 'true' || steps.match-every.outputs.non-ignored == 'true' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' }}
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           # "if any changed file matches one or more of the conditions" (https://github.com/dorny/paths-filter/issues/225)
           predicate-quantifier: some
-          # deployment - any changes to files in `deployments/`
+          # deployment - any changes to files in the `deployments/`
           # core-ci - any changes that could affect this workflow definition
           # golang-ci - any changes that could affect the linting result
           filters: |
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ jobs:
             non-ignored:
               - '**'
               - '!docs/**'
+              - '!fuzz/**'
               - '!integration-tests/**'
               - '!tools/secrets/**'
               - '!tools/goreleaser-config/**'
@@ -91,24 +93,62 @@ jobs:
               - '!nix-darwin-shell-hook.sh'
               - '!LICENSE'
               - '!.github/**'
-    
+      - uses: dorny/paths-filter@de90cc6fb38fc0963ad72b210f1f284cd68cea36 # v3.0.2
+        id: affected-modules
+        with:
+          # updates - any updates in the repo except for the negated ones
+          filters: |
+            updates:
+              - '**'
+              - 'ccip/**'
+              - 'common/**'
+              - 'core/**'
+              - 'dashboard-lib/**'
+              - 'deployment/**'
+              - '!contracts/**'
+              - '!docs/**'
+              - '!fuzz/**'
+              - '!tools/**'
+              - '!integration-tests/**'
+              - '!integration-tests-v2/**'
+              - '!internal/**'
+              - '!testdata/**'
+              - '!**/README.md'
+              - '!**/CHANGELOG.md'
+              - '!.goreleaser.develop.yaml'
+              - '!.goreleaser.devspace.yaml'
+              - '!.goreleaser.production.yaml'
+              - '!*.nix'
+              - '!sonar-project.properties'
+              - '!nix.conf'
+              - '!nix-darwin-shell-hook.sh'
+              - '!LICENSE'
+              - '!.github/**'
+              
   golangci:
-    # We don't directly merge dependabot PRs, so let's not waste the resources
-    if: ${{ (github.event_name == 'pull_request' ||  github.event_name == 'schedule') && github.actor != 'dependabot[bot]' }}
     name: lint
+    # We don't directly merge dependabot PRs, so let's not waste the resources.
+    # toJson/fromJson is used to account for empty array formatting differences ([], [ ], etc.)
+    # if: ${{ (github.event_name == 'pull_request' ||  github.event_name == 'schedule') && github.actor != 'dependabot[bot]' && needs.filter.outputs.should-run-golangci == 'true' && (toJson(fromJson(needs.filter.outputs.affected-packages)) != '[]' && needs.filter.outputs.affected-packages != '')}}
+    if: always()
+    needs: [filter, run-frequency]
     permissions:
-      # For golangci-lint-actions to annotate code in the PR.
+      # To annotate code in the PR.
       checks: write
       contents: read
       # For golangci-lint-action's `only-new-issues` option.
       pull-requests: read
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-8cores-32GB-ARM
-    needs: [filter, run-frequency]
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        modules: ${{ fromJson(needs.filter.outputs.affected-packages.updates) }}
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4.2.1
-      - name: Golang Lint
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4.2.1
+      - name: Golang Lint (${{ matrix.modules }})
         uses: ./.github/actions/golangci-lint
-        if: ${{ needs.filter.outputs.should-run-golangci == 'true' }}
+        with: 
+          go-directory: ${{ matrix.modules }}
       - name: Notify Slack
         if: ${{ failure() && needs.run-frequency.outputs.one-per-day-frequency == 'true' }}
         uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@6c661ce58804a1a20f6dc5fbee7f0381b469e001 # v1.25.0