diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 19e3514aed..61bfc86e20 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -48,11 +48,14 @@ jobs:
           HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
         run: node tools/ci/classifyToolchains.mjs
 
+  # Always call Node so required `Node / *` checks are reported. Jobs inside
+  # skip when Node is unaffected; GitHub treats skipped jobs as passing.
   node:
     name: Node
     needs: changes
-    if: needs.changes.outputs.node == 'true'
     uses: ./.github/workflows/node.yml
+    with:
+      affected: ${{ needs.changes.outputs.node == 'true' }}
 
   android:
     name: Android
diff --git a/.github/workflows/node.yml b/.github/workflows/node.yml
index f882ba22e3..a0ce78f05d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/node.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/node.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,17 @@ name: Node
 
 on:
   workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      affected:
+        description: When false, jobs skip so required Node checks still report a passing status
+        type: boolean
+        default: true
   workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      affected:
+        description: When false, jobs skip so required Node checks still report a passing status
+        type: boolean
+        default: true
 
 concurrency:
   group: Node-${{github.ref_name}}-${{github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.number || github.sha}}
@@ -20,6 +30,7 @@ env:
 jobs:
   validate:
     name: Validate
+    if: ${{ inputs.affected == true }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Harden the runner (Audit all outbound calls)
@@ -43,6 +54,7 @@ jobs:
 
   lint:
     name: Lint
+    if: ${{ inputs.affected == true }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Harden the runner (Audit all outbound calls)
@@ -63,6 +75,7 @@ jobs:
 
   format:
     name: Format
+    if: ${{ inputs.affected == true }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Harden the runner (Audit all outbound calls)
@@ -78,6 +91,7 @@ jobs:
 
   test:
     name: Test
+    if: ${{ inputs.affected == true }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Harden the runner (Audit all outbound calls)
@@ -93,6 +107,7 @@ jobs:
 
   typecheck:
     name: Typecheck
+    if: ${{ inputs.affected == true }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Harden the runner (Audit all outbound calls)
@@ -108,6 +123,7 @@ jobs:
 
   build:
     name: Build
+    if: ${{ inputs.affected == true }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Harden the runner (Audit all outbound calls)
@@ -125,7 +141,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Depcheck
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     # Only run on master pushes (to cache baseline) or PRs targeting master (to compare)
-    if: github.ref_name == 'master' || (github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.base_ref == 'master')
+    if: ${{ inputs.affected == true && (github.ref_name == 'master' || (github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.base_ref == 'master')) }}
     steps:
       - name: Harden the runner (Audit all outbound calls)
         uses: step-security/harden-runner@ec9f2d5744a09debf3a187a3f4f675c53b671911 # v2.13.0
@@ -171,7 +187,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Bundle Stats
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     # Only run on master pushes (to cache baseline) or PRs targeting master (to compare)
-    if: github.ref_name == 'master' || (github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.base_ref == 'master')
+    if: ${{ inputs.affected == true && (github.ref_name == 'master' || (github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.base_ref == 'master')) }}
     steps:
       - name: Harden the runner (Audit all outbound calls)
         uses: step-security/harden-runner@ec9f2d5744a09debf3a187a3f4f675c53b671911 # v2.13.0
@@ -220,6 +236,7 @@ jobs:
 
   lint-styles:
     name: Lint Styles
+    if: ${{ inputs.affected == true }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Harden the runner (Audit all outbound calls)
diff --git a/docs/ci.md b/docs/ci.md
index 3e70964c2a..fc7fad69e7 100644
--- a/docs/ci.md
+++ b/docs/ci.md
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # CI architecture
 
 [`.github/workflows/ci.yml`](../.github/workflows/ci.yml) is the pull-request orchestrator. It
-classifies changed paths by toolchain, then starts only the required lanes.
+classifies changed paths by toolchain, then starts the native lanes that need to run. The Node
+lane is always started so required checks are reported; its jobs skip when Node is unaffected.
 
 ## Toolchain tags
 
@@ -18,8 +19,10 @@ product surface, but CI scheduling is based on the toolchain classification.
 
 The orchestrator determines whether Node, Gradle, or Xcode paths changed:
 
-- Node changes call the reusable [Node workflow](../.github/workflows/node.yml). Its Linux jobs use
-  `nx affected` plus `toolchain:node`, so only affected Node projects with the requested target run.
+- The [Node workflow](../.github/workflows/node.yml) is always called so required `Node / *`
+  checks are reported. When Node paths changed, its Linux jobs use `nx affected` plus
+  `toolchain:node`. When they did not, each Node job is skipped; GitHub treats skipped jobs as
+  passing, so native-only PRs are not blocked waiting for Node.
 - Gradle changes call the reusable [Android workflow](../.github/workflows/android.yml), which
   builds and tests the Android library and demo app with JDK 21 and the Android SDK.
 - Xcode changes call the reusable [iOS workflow](../.github/workflows/ios.yml), which builds
@@ -30,8 +33,8 @@ This keeps toolchains isolated while preserving dependency-aware validation:
 - A web-only change does not run React Native, Android, or iOS work.
 - A change to a shared Node dependency may affect multiple dependent Node projects, such as both
   web and React Native packages.
-- An Android-only change runs the Gradle lane without Node or Xcode jobs.
-- An iOS-only change runs the Xcode lane without Node or Gradle jobs.
+- An Android-only change runs the Gradle and skipped-Node lanes without Xcode jobs.
+- An iOS-only change runs the Xcode and skipped-Node lanes without Gradle jobs.
 - Changes to centralized CI or Nx classification files safely enable all toolchains.
 
 Manually dispatching `ci.yml` enables every toolchain. The reusable Android and iOS workflows can
diff --git a/docs/nx.md b/docs/nx.md
index e941a443d8..f9b3970640 100644
--- a/docs/nx.md
+++ b/docs/nx.md
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ executor does not solve the problem because both Node and native projects primar
 
 Nx 20 cannot use the tags to select `targetDefaults`, but CI already depends on them:
 
-1. The change classifier maps a changed project root to its `toolchain:*` tag and selects the Node,
-   Gradle, or Xcode workflow.
+1. The change classifier maps a changed project root to its `toolchain:*` tag and decides which
+   of the Node, Gradle, or Xcode workflows should execute work.
 2. The Node workflow positively filters `nx affected` to `toolchain:node`, preventing native
    `build` and `test` targets from running on Node-only Linux jobs.
 3. The validator rejects missing or conflicting tags so a new project cannot silently enter the