diff --git a/.github/workflows/backend_checks.yml b/.github/workflows/backend_checks.yml
index 3299c6e2eb4..d1b018b9488 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/backend_checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/backend_checks.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ on:
       - "main"
       - "release-**"
 
+# Merge queue strategy: only run container startup + migration checks on
+# merge_group events as a lightweight sanity check.  The full test suite
+# runs on pull_request and push to main/release branches.  This keeps the
+# queue fast while still catching migration head conflicts.
+
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.ref != 'refs/heads/main' }}
@@ -60,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
 
   Collect-Tests:
     needs: Check-Backend-Changes
-    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true'
+    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true' && github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
@@ -274,7 +279,7 @@ jobs:
 
   Misc-Tests:
     needs: [Check-Backend-Changes, Check-Container-Startup]
-    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true'
+    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true' && github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     strategy:
       matrix:
         test_selection:
@@ -343,7 +348,7 @@ jobs:
   ################
   Safe-Tests:
     needs: [Check-Backend-Changes, Check-Container-Startup]
-    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true'
+    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true' && github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -426,7 +431,7 @@ jobs:
 
   Pytest-Redis-Cluster:
     needs: [Check-Backend-Changes, Check-Container-Startup]
-    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true'
+    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true' && github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 30
     steps:
@@ -490,7 +495,7 @@ jobs:
 
   Pytest-Ctl-External:
     needs: [Check-Backend-Changes, Check-Container-Startup]
-    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true' && (contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'run unsafe ci checks') || github.event_name == 'push' || github.event_name == 'merge_group')
+    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true' && (contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'run unsafe ci checks') || github.event_name == 'push')
     strategy:
       max-parallel: 1 # This prevents collisions in shared external resources
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/chromatic.yml b/.github/workflows/chromatic.yml
index 656aae6fe26..26136462e5c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/chromatic.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/chromatic.yml
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ jobs:
   chromatic:
     name: Run Chromatic
     needs: check-fidesui-changes
-    if: needs.check-fidesui-changes.outputs.has_fidesui_changes == 'true'
+    # Skip on merge_group — these checks already passed on the PR
+    if: needs.check-fidesui-changes.outputs.has_fidesui_changes == 'true' && github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli_checks.yml b/.github/workflows/cli_checks.yml
index 636a854a7b1..cb1fedb5a6d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cli_checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli_checks.yml
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ jobs:
   # Basic smoke test of a local install of the fides Python CLI
   Fides-Install:
     needs: Check-CLI-Changes
-    if: needs.Check-CLI-Changes.outputs.has_cli_changes == 'true'
+    # Skip on merge_group — these checks already passed on the PR
+    if: needs.Check-CLI-Changes.outputs.has_cli_changes == 'true' && github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 20
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cypress_admin-ui.yml b/.github/workflows/cypress_admin-ui.yml
index cd64366dc3a..556200f6f31 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cypress_admin-ui.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cypress_admin-ui.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ jobs:
 
   prepare-matrix:
     needs: Check-Admin-UI-Changes
-    if: needs.Check-Admin-UI-Changes.outputs.has_admin_ui_changes == 'true'
+    # Skip on merge_group — these checks already passed on the PR
+    if: needs.Check-Admin-UI-Changes.outputs.has_admin_ui_changes == 'true' && github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
       spec_groups: ${{ steps.set-matrix.outputs.spec_groups }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cypress_fides-js.yml b/.github/workflows/cypress_fides-js.yml
index bad74f8505a..703c8af915f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cypress_fides-js.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cypress_fides-js.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ jobs:
 
   Privacy-Center-Cypress:
     needs: Check-FidesJS-Changes
-    if: needs.Check-FidesJS-Changes.outputs.has_fidesjs_changes == 'true'
+    # Skip on merge_group — these checks already passed on the PR
+    if: needs.Check-FidesJS-Changes.outputs.has_fidesjs_changes == 'true' && github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     defaults:
       run:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cypress_privacy-center.yml b/.github/workflows/cypress_privacy-center.yml
index 44662ad8492..5c6212f1a61 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cypress_privacy-center.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cypress_privacy-center.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ jobs:
 
   Privacy-Center-Cypress:
     needs: Check-Privacy-Center-Changes
-    if: needs.Check-Privacy-Center-Changes.outputs.has_privacy_center_changes == 'true'
+    # Skip on merge_group — these checks already passed on the PR
+    if: needs.Check-Privacy-Center-Changes.outputs.has_privacy_center_changes == 'true' && github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     defaults:
       run:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/static_checks.yml b/.github/workflows/static_checks.yml
index d3124181f9b..16cd512ea69 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/static_checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/static_checks.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: Backend Static Code Checks
 on:
   pull_request:
   merge_group:
-    types: [ checks_requested ]
+    types: [checks_requested]
   push:
     branches:
       - "main"
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ jobs:
   ###################
   Static-Checks:
     needs: Check-Backend-Changes
-    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true'
+    # Skip on merge_group — these checks already passed on the PR
+    if: needs.Check-Backend-Changes.outputs.has_backend_changes == 'true' && github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     strategy:
       # We want to run all static checks even if some fail, so we set fail-fast to false
       fail-fast: false