diff --git a/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.patch-always.yml b/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.patch-always.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf540629
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.patch-always.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# These jobs can be skipped based on cached Google Cloud state disks,
+# so they always need to run on every PR.
+#
+# TODO: when we refactor checking disks into a re-usable workflow,
+#       call it here, and patch if the disks *are* available
+name: CI Docker
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+
+jobs:
+  regenerate-stateful-disks:
+    name: Zebra checkpoint / Run sync-to-checkpoint test
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: 'echo "No build required"'
+
+  test-full-sync:
+    name: Zebra tip / Run full-sync-to-tip test
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: 'echo "No build required"'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.patch.yml b/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.patch.yml
index e6e107ae..56b8223e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.patch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.patch.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 name: CI Docker
 
+# These jobs *don't* depend on cached Google Cloud state disks,
+# so they can be skipped when the modified files make the actual workflow run.
 on:
   pull_request:
     branches:
@@ -76,24 +78,12 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - run: 'echo "No build required"'
 
-  regenerate-stateful-disks:
-    name: Zebra checkpoint / Run sync-to-checkpoint test
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - run: 'echo "No build required"'
-
   test-stateful-sync:
     name: Zebra checkpoint update / Run sync-past-checkpoint test
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - run: 'echo "No build required"'
 
-  test-full-sync:
-    name: Zebra tip / Run full-sync-to-tip test
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - run: 'echo "No build required"'
-
   lightwalletd-rpc-test:
     name: Zebra tip JSON-RPC / Run fully-synced-rpc test
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest