diff --git a/.github/workflows/phpcs.yml b/.github/workflows/phpcs.yml
index 6615b40..9a5f99e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/phpcs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/phpcs.yml
@@ -29,11 +29,35 @@ jobs:
           ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
           fetch-depth: 0
 
+      # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+      # Get changed files — runs right after checkout so we can skip remaining
+      # steps entirely when no PHP files changed
+      # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+      - name: Get list of changed files
+        id: files
+        run: |
+            CHANGED_FILES=$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=AM ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }} ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }} -- . ':!tests' | grep '\.php$' || true)                                                                                                                       
+                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
+            {                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
+              echo 'CHANGED_FILES<<EOF'                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
+              echo "$CHANGED_FILES"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
+              echo EOF                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
+            } >> $GITHUB_ENV                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
+                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
+            if [ -n "$CHANGED_FILES" ]; then                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
+              echo "has_php_files=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
+            else                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
+              echo "No PHP files changed, skipping phpcs"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
+              echo "has_php_files=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
+            fi
+
       - uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
+        if: steps.files.outputs.has_php_files == 'true'
         with:
           php-version: ${{ inputs.php_version }}
 
       - uses: ramsey/composer-install@v3
+        if: steps.files.outputs.has_php_files == 'true'
         with:
           composer-options: "--ignore-platform-reqs"
 
@@ -42,26 +66,20 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           sudo chown -R root:root $GITHUB_WORKSPACE
 
-      # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-      # Get changed files
-      # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-      - name: Get list of changed files
-        id: files
-        run: |
-          echo "CHANGED_FILES=$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=AM ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }} ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }} -- . ':!tests' | grep '\.php$' | tr '\n' ' ')" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
       # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       # PHPCS
       # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       - uses: reviewdog/action-setup@v1
+        if: steps.files.outputs.has_php_files == 'true'
         with:
           reviewdog_version: latest # Optional. [latest,nightly,v.X.Y.Z]
       - name: Run reviewdog
+        if: steps.files.outputs.has_php_files == 'true'
         env:
           REVIEWDOG_GITHUB_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.access-token }}
         run: |
-          # Run phpcs and capture both the output and the exit code
-          JSON_REPORT=$(vendor/bin/phpcs --report=json -q ${{ env.CHANGED_FILES }} || echo "")
+          # Run phpcs — printf + xargs -d '\n' keeps filenames with spaces intact
+          JSON_REPORT=$(printf '%s\n' "${{ env.CHANGED_FILES }}" | xargs -d '\n' vendor/bin/phpcs --report=json -q)
           PHPCS_EXIT_CODE=$?
 
           # Check if phpcs produced a JSON report