diff --git a/polkadot/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml b/polkadot/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml
index f52b798362..7c7fd734fa 100644
--- a/polkadot/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml
+++ b/polkadot/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml
@@ -9,8 +9,12 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
       - name: Check labels
         run: bash ${{ github.workspace }}/scripts/github/check_labels.sh
         env:
           GITHUB_PR: ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/common/lib.sh b/polkadot/scripts/common/lib.sh
index 9a232ca4c1..93e0392b3e 100755
--- a/polkadot/scripts/common/lib.sh
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/common/lib.sh
@@ -124,3 +124,18 @@ skip_if_companion_pr() {
 latest_release() {
   curl -s "$api_base/$1/releases/latest" | jq -r '.tag_name'
 }
+
+# Check for runtime changes between two commits. This is defined as any changes
+# to /primitives/src/* and any *production* chains under /runtime
+has_runtime_changes() {
+  from=$1
+  to=$2
+
+  if git diff --name-only "${from}...${to}" \
+    | grep -q -e '^runtime/polkadot' -e '^runtime/kusama' -e '^primitives/src/' -e '^runtime/common'
+  then
+    return 0
+  else
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/github/check_labels.sh b/polkadot/scripts/github/check_labels.sh
index 0d3a7ea79f..6415518136 100755
--- a/polkadot/scripts/github/check_labels.sh
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/github/check_labels.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ releasenotes_labels=(
   'B7-runtimenoteworthy'
 )
 
+# Must be an ordered list of priorities, lowest first
 priority_labels=(
   'C1-low 📌'
   'C3-medium 📣'
@@ -29,6 +30,13 @@ priority_labels=(
   'C9-critical ‼️'
 )
 
+audit_labels=(
+  'D1-trivial'
+  'D1-audited👍'
+  'D5-nicetohaveaudit⚠️ '
+  'D9-needsaudit👮'
+)
+
 echo "[+] Checking release notes (B) labels for $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH"
 if ensure_labels "${releasenotes_labels[@]}";  then
   echo "[+] Release notes label detected. All is well."
@@ -45,10 +53,20 @@ else
   exit 1
 fi
 
-# If the priority is anything other than C1-low, we *must not* have a B0-silent
+if has_runtime_changes origin/master "${HEAD_SHA}"; then
+  echo "[+] Runtime changes detected. Checking audit (D) labels"
+  if ensure_labels "${audit_labels[@]}";  then
+    echo "[+] Release audit label detected. All is well."
+  else
+    echo "[!] Release audit label not detected. Please add one of: ${audit_labels[*]}"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+
+# If the priority is anything other than the lowest, we *must not* have a B0-silent
 # label
-if has_label "$repo" "$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH" 'B0-silent' &&
-  ! has_label "$repo" "$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH" 'C1-low' ; then
+if has_label "$repo" "$GITHUB_PR" 'B0-silent' &&
+  ! has_label "$repo" "$GITHUB_PR" "${priority_labels[0]}"; then
   echo "[!] Changes with a priority higher than C1-low *MUST* have a B- label that is not B0-Silent"
   exit 1
 fi
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/gitlab/check_runtime.sh b/polkadot/scripts/gitlab/check_runtime.sh
index 89b91a4cb2..aa9f581372 100755
--- a/polkadot/scripts/gitlab/check_runtime.sh
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/gitlab/check_runtime.sh
@@ -48,13 +48,8 @@ common_dirs=(
 # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1527049/how-can-i-join-elements-of-an-array-in-bash
 function join_by { local d=$1; shift; echo -n "$1"; shift; printf "%s" "${@/#/$d}"; }
 
-# Construct a regex to search for any changes to runtime or common directories
-runtime_regex="^runtime/$(join_by '|^runtime/' "${runtimes[@]}" "${common_dirs[@]}")"
-
 boldprint "check if the wasm sources changed since ${LATEST_TAG}"
-if ! git diff --name-only "refs/tags/${LATEST_TAG}...${CI_COMMIT_SHA}" \
-  | grep -E -q -e "$runtime_regex"
-then
+if ! has_runtime_changes "${LATEST_TAG}" "${CI_COMMIT_SHA}"; then
   boldprint "no changes to any runtime source code detected"
   # continue checking if Cargo.lock was updated with a new substrate reference
   # and if that change includes a {spec|impl}_version update.