diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
index 025f329bdb1..5a19d5d96b2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
@@ -378,6 +378,26 @@ jobs:
           name: openverse-api-openapi-schema.yaml
           path: ./api/openapi.yaml
 
+  # This job runs when `django-checks` doesn't and always passes, thus allowing
+  # PRs to meet the required checks criteria and be merged.
+  bypass-django-checks:
+    name: Run Django checks
+    if: needs.get-changes.outputs.api != 'true'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs:
+      - get-changes
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        recipe:
+          - "api/dj check"
+          - "api/dj validateopenapischema"
+          - "api/dj makemigrations --check --noinput --merge"
+          - "api/doc-test"
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Pass
+        run: echo 'Django checks are skipped because API is unchanged.'
+
   ############
   # Frontend #
   ############
@@ -492,6 +512,25 @@ jobs:
           name: ${{ matrix.name }}_test_results
           path: frontend/test-results
 
+  # This job runs when `playwright` doesn't and always passes, thus allowing
+  # PRs to meet the required checks criteria and be merged.
+  bypass-playwright:
+    name: Run Playwright tests
+    if: needs.get-changes.outputs.frontend != 'true'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs:
+      - get-changes
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        name:
+          - playwright_vr
+          - playwright_e2e
+          - storybook_vr
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Pass
+        run: echo 'Playwright tests are skipped because frontend is unchanged.'
+
   playwright-test-failure-comment:
     name: Post Playwright test debugging instructions
     if: |
@@ -546,7 +585,10 @@ jobs:
     if: |
       !failure() && !cancelled() &&
       (
-        github.event_name == 'push' ||
+        (
+          github.event_name == 'push' &&
+          github.repository == 'WordPress/openverse'
+        ) ||
         (
           github.event_name == 'pull_request' &&
           github.event.pull_request.head.repo.owner.login == 'WordPress' &&
@@ -561,8 +603,6 @@ jobs:
       - test-ing
       - test-api
       - nuxt-build
-    env:
-      REPO_NAME: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.repo.name }}
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
@@ -583,8 +623,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Recreate working directory # to avoid superfluous files from getting tracked automatically
         run: |
           cd ..
-          sudo rm -rf "$REPO_NAME"
-          mkdir "$REPO_NAME"
+          sudo rm -rf openverse
+          mkdir openverse
 
       - name: Checkout repository at `gh-pages` branch
         uses: actions/checkout@v3