diff --git a/.github/workflows/cla.yml b/.github/workflows/cla.yml
index 4d6207d8..d43d359d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cla.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cla.yml
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
   # Run in merge queue but skip the step (shows as passing check)
   merge_group:
-    types: [checks_requested]
-    # Note: Don't use branches filter here - merge queue refs like
-    # gh-readonly-queue/main/pr-N-xxx don't match simple branch globs
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 # Explicitly set permissions for the workflow
diff --git a/.github/workflows/claude-code-test.yml b/.github/workflows/claude-code-test.yml
index 3a2bb2e3..d78deb5a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/claude-code-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/claude-code-test.yml
@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
   # Run in the merge queue to validate before merging
   merge_group:
-    types: [checks_requested]
-    # Note: Don't use branches filter here - merge queue refs like
-    # gh-readonly-queue/main/pr-N-xxx don't match simple branch globs
 
 # Ensure only one instance runs at a time per PR/branch
 concurrency:
@@ -28,39 +25,42 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
-  # Job for PRs - always passes, actual validation happens in merge queue
-  pr-check:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
-    steps:
-      - name: PR Check
-        run: echo "Claude Code integration tests will run in the merge queue"
-
   # Job 1: Validate command generation from fixtures (no API key needed)
-  # Runs on merge_group and workflow_dispatch only
+  # Runs on all events, but actual work only happens in merge_group/workflow_dispatch
+  # This ensures the check name exists for PRs (needed for GitHub's merge queue)
   validate-generation:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: github.event_name == 'merge_group' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
     steps:
+      # For PRs: just pass quickly (actual tests run in merge queue)
+      - name: Skip on PR
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+        run: echo "Validation will run in merge queue. Passing for PR."
+
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
 
       - name: Install uv
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v4
         with:
           version: "latest"
 
       - name: Set up Python
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: "3.11"
 
       - name: Install dependencies
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
         run: uv sync --extra dev
 
       - name: Run fruits workflow tests
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
         run: uv run pytest tests/integration/test_fruits_workflow.py -v
 
       - name: Generate commands and validate structure
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
         run: |
           # Create a test environment
           mkdir -p test_project/.deepwork/jobs
@@ -100,17 +100,24 @@ jobs:
 
   # Job 2: Full end-to-end test with Claude Code
   # Tests the COMPLETE workflow: define job -> implement -> execute
-  # Runs on merge_group and workflow_dispatch, skipped on PRs (shows as passing check)
+  # Runs on all events, but actual work only happens in merge_group/workflow_dispatch
+  # This ensures the check name exists for PRs (needed for GitHub's merge queue)
   claude-code-e2e:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: validate-generation
-    if: github.event_name == 'merge_group' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
     env:
       ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
     steps:
+      # For PRs: just pass quickly (actual tests run in merge queue)
+      - name: Skip on PR
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+        run: echo "E2E tests will run in merge queue. Passing for PR."
+
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
 
       - name: Check for API key
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
         id: check-key
         run: |
           if [ -z "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" ]; then
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate.yml b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
index b90a4bac..c8028c3e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     branches: [main]
   merge_group:
-    types: [checks_requested]
-    # Note: Don't use branches filter here - merge queue refs like
-    # gh-readonly-queue/main/pr-N-xxx don't match simple branch globs
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 # Minimal permissions for this workflow