diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index c7611ad7ff..c35d6808a0 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ jobs:
           name: Run tests
           no_output_timeout: 20m
           command: |
+            CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH=$([[ -n ${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} ]] && (curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_USERNAME}/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME}/pulls/${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} | jq -r '.head.ref') || "")
+            echo "CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH: ${CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH}"
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^i18n || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^i18n ]]; then echo "Skipping: i18n branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^docs || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^docs ]]; then echo "Skipping: docs branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder ]]; then echo "Skipping: update-builder branch"; exit 0; fi
             export TESTFILES=$(cd securedrop; circleci tests glob 'tests/test*py' 'tests/**/test*py' |circleci tests split --split-by=timings |xargs echo)
             docker rm -f securedrop-test-xenial-py2 || true
             fromtag=$(docker images |grep securedrop-test-xenial-py2 |head -n1 |awk '{print $2}')
@@ -155,6 +160,11 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: Run tests
           command: |
+            CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH=$([[ -n ${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} ]] && (curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_USERNAME}/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME}/pulls/${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} | jq -r '.head.ref') || "")
+            echo "CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH: ${CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH}"
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^i18n || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^i18n ]]; then echo "Skipping: i18n branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^docs || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^docs ]]; then echo "Skipping: docs branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder ]]; then echo "Skipping: update-builder branch"; exit 0; fi
             export TESTFILES=$(cd securedrop; circleci tests glob 'tests/test*py' 'tests/**/test*py' |circleci tests split --split-by=timings |xargs echo)
             docker rm -f securedrop-test-xenial-py3 || true
             fromtag=$(docker images |grep securedrop-test-xenial-py3 |head -n1 |awk '{print $2}')
@@ -190,6 +200,9 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: Run tests
           command: |
+            CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH=$([[ -n ${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} ]] && (curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_USERNAME}/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME}/pulls/${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} | jq -r '.head.ref') || "")
+            echo "CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH: ${CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH}"
+            if ! [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^i18n || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^i18n ]]; then echo "Skipping: non-i18n branch"; exit 0; fi
             export TESTFILES=$(cd securedrop; circleci tests glob 'tests/pageslayout/test*py' |circleci tests split --split-by=timings |xargs echo)
             docker rm -f securedrop-test-xenial-py2 || true
             fromtag=$(docker images |grep securedrop-test-xenial-py2 |head -n1 |awk '{print $2}')
@@ -202,19 +215,35 @@ jobs:
     docker:
       - image: gcr.io/cloud-builders/docker
     steps:
-      - run: apt-get install -y make
+      - run: apt-get install -y make jq
       - checkout
       - setup_remote_docker
-      - run: cd admin ; make test
+      - run:
+          name: Run tests
+          command: |
+            CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH=$([[ -n ${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} ]] && (curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_USERNAME}/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME}/pulls/${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} | jq -r '.head.ref') || "")
+            echo "CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH: ${CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH}"
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^i18n || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^i18n ]]; then echo "Skipping: i18n branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^docs || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^docs ]]; then echo "Skipping: docs branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder ]]; then echo "Skipping: update-builder branch"; exit 0; fi
+            cd admin ; make test
 
   fetch-tor-debs:
     docker:
       - image: gcr.io/cloud-builders/docker
     steps:
-      - run: apt-get install -y make virtualenv python-pip enchant
+      - run: apt-get install -y make virtualenv python-pip enchant jq
       - checkout
       - setup_remote_docker
-      - run: make fetch-tor-packages
+      - run:
+          name: Fetch Tor packages
+          command: |
+            CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH=$([[ -n ${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} ]] && (curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_USERNAME}/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME}/pulls/${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} | jq -r '.head.ref') || "")
+            echo "CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH: ${CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH}"
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^i18n || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^i18n ]]; then echo "Skipping: i18n branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^docs || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^docs ]]; then echo "Skipping: docs branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder ]]; then echo "Skipping: update-builder branch"; exit 0; fi
+            make fetch-tor-packages
 
   updater-gui-tests:
     docker:
@@ -241,6 +270,11 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: Run tests
           command: |
+            CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH=$([[ -n ${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} ]] && (curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_USERNAME}/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME}/pulls/${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} | jq -r '.head.ref') || "")
+            echo "CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH: ${CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH}"
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^i18n || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^i18n ]]; then echo "Skipping: i18n branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^docs || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^docs ]]; then echo "Skipping: docs branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder ]]; then echo "Skipping: update-builder branch"; exit 0; fi
             cd journalist_gui
             xvfb-run -a pipenv run python3 test_gui.py
 
@@ -268,8 +302,13 @@ jobs:
       - *installenchant
 
       - run:
-          name: Run Staging tests on GCE (Xenial)
-          command: make ci-go
+          name: Run Staging tests on GCE
+          command: |
+            CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH=$([[ -n ${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} ]] && (curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_USERNAME}/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME}/pulls/${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} | jq -r '.head.ref') || "")
+            echo "CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH: ${CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH}"
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^i18n || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^i18n ]]; then echo "Skipping: i18n branch"; exit 0; fi
+            if [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^docs || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^docs ]]; then echo "Skipping: docs branch"; exit 0; fi
+            make ci-go
           no_output_timeout: 20m
 
       - run:
@@ -292,7 +331,13 @@ jobs:
       - run: apt-get install -y make virtualenv python-pip enchant
       - checkout
       - setup_remote_docker
-      - run: make ci-deb-tests
+      - run:
+          name: Test Debian package build
+          command: |
+            CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH=$([[ -n ${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} ]] && (curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_USERNAME}/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME}/pulls/${CIRCLE_PR_NUMBER} | jq -r '.head.ref') || "")
+            echo "CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH: ${CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH}"
+            if ! [[ $CIRCLE_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder || $CIRCLE_PR_BRANCH =~ ^update-builder ]]; then echo "Skipping: non-update-builder branch"; exit 0; fi
+            make ci-deb-tests
 
 workflows:
   version: 2
@@ -345,11 +390,6 @@ workflows:
           requires:
             - lint
       - static-analysis-and-no-known-cves:
-          filters:
-            branches:
-              ignore:
-                - /docs-.*/
-                - /i18n-.*/
           requires:
             - lint
       - staging-test-with-rebase:
@@ -361,10 +401,6 @@ workflows:
           requires:
             - lint
       - translation-tests:
-          filters:
-            branches:
-              only:
-                - /i18n-.*/
           requires:
             - lint
       - deb-tests: