diff --git a/ci/.ci-ignore b/ci/.ci-ignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c586ea6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/.ci-ignore
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+README.md
+CONTRIBUTING.md
+LICENSE.md
+ci/README.md
+ci/release_notes_template.md
+ci/release_notes.md
+docs
diff --git a/ci/pipeline.yml b/ci/pipeline.yml
index 2c3288c5..dfe83540 100644
--- a/ci/pipeline.yml
+++ b/ci/pipeline.yml
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ jobs:
           path: git-pull-requests
           status: pending
           context: acceptance-tests
+        get_params: {list_changed_files: true}
       - task: acceptance-tests
         privileged: true
         config:
diff --git a/ci/scripts/acceptance-tests b/ci/scripts/acceptance-tests
index fe9a1184..fabb86f9 100755
--- a/ci/scripts/acceptance-tests
+++ b/ci/scripts/acceptance-tests
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 
 set -e
 
-stemcell_jammy_path=$PWD/stemcell/*.tgz
-stemcell_bionic_path=$PWD/stemcell-bionic/*.tgz
-bpm_release_path=$PWD/bpm/*.tgz
+stemcell_jammy_path="$PWD/stemcell/*.tgz"
+stemcell_bionic_path="$PWD/stemcell-bionic/*.tgz"
+bpm_release_path="$PWD/bpm/*.tgz"
 
 if [ -n "$FOCUS" ]; then
   echo "------------------------------------------------------------------"
@@ -14,10 +14,17 @@ if [ -n "$FOCUS" ]; then
   ADDITIONAL_ARGS=("--focus" "$FOCUS")
 fi
 
-cd ${REPO_ROOT:?required}
+cd "${REPO_ROOT:?required}"
 echo "----- Pulling in any git submodules..."
 git submodule update --init --recursive --force
 
+# shellcheck disable=SC1091
+source "ci/scripts/skip-ci.sh"
+if skip_ci "ci/.ci-ignore" ".git/resource/changed_files"; then
+  echo "SKIP TEST: Only .ci-ignored changes found."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 echo "----- Starting BOSH"
 
 ./ci/scripts/start-bosh.sh
@@ -31,6 +38,7 @@ if [ -z "$FOCUS" ]; then
   trap stop_docker EXIT
 fi
 
+# shellcheck disable=SC1091
 source /tmp/local-bosh/director/env
 
 echo "----- Creating candidate BOSH release..."
@@ -43,18 +51,19 @@ export RELEASE_VERSION="${release_final_version}.latest"
 echo "----- Created ${RELEASE_VERSION}"
 
 echo "----- Uploading Jammy stemcell"
-bosh -n upload-stemcell $stemcell_jammy_path
+bosh -n upload-stemcell "$stemcell_jammy_path"
 
 echo "----- Uploading Bionic stemcell"
-bosh -n upload-stemcell $stemcell_bionic_path
+bosh -n upload-stemcell "$stemcell_bionic_path"
 
 echo "----- Uploading BPM"
-bosh -n upload-release $bpm_release_path
+bosh -n upload-release "$bpm_release_path"
 
 echo "----- Uploading os-conf (used for tests only)"
 bosh -n upload-release --sha1 386293038ae3d00813eaa475b4acf63f8da226ef \
   https://bosh.io/d/github.com/cloudfoundry/os-conf-release?v=22.1.2
 
+# shellcheck disable=SC2155
 export BOSH_PATH=$(which bosh)
 export BASE_MANIFEST_PATH="$PWD/manifests/haproxy.yml"
 
diff --git a/ci/scripts/skip-ci.sh b/ci/scripts/skip-ci.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..0ba00057
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/scripts/skip-ci.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+function skip_ci() {
+    local ignore_list="$1"
+    local changed_files="$2"
+    while read -r changed_file
+    do
+        while read -r skip_for
+        do
+            # If a directory is on the allow-list
+            if [ -d "$skip_for" ]; then
+                for file_in_dir in "$skip_for"/*; do
+                    if [ "$file_in_dir" == "$changed_file" ]; then
+                        continue 3
+                    fi
+                done
+            fi
+            if [ "$skip_for" == "$changed_file" ] ; then
+                continue 2
+            fi
+        done < "$ignore_list"
+        # If we get here the file is not skipped or in a skipped dir.
+        return 1
+    done < "$changed_files"
+    # If we get here, all files are skipped or in skipped dirs.
+    return 0
+}