diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml b/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml
index 97562f0da0..1d1a877005 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-labels.yml
@@ -9,14 +9,6 @@ jobs:
   check-labels:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: Skip merge queue
-        if: ${{ contains(github.ref, 'gh-readonly-queue') }}
-        run: exit 0
-      - name: Pull image
-        env:
-          IMAGE: paritytech/ruled_labels:0.4.0
-        run: docker pull $IMAGE
-
       - name: Check labels
         env:
           IMAGE: paritytech/ruled_labels:0.4.0
@@ -28,6 +20,16 @@ jobs:
           RULES_PATH: labels/ruled_labels
           CHECK_SPECS: "specs_polkadot-sdk.yaml"
         run: |
+          if [ ${{ github.ref }} == "refs/heads/master" ]; then
+            echo "Skipping master"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          if [ $(echo ${{ github.ref }} | grep -c "gh-readonly-queue") -eq 1 ]; then
+            echo "Skipping merge queue"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          docker pull $IMAGE
           echo "REPO: ${REPO}"
           echo "GITHUB_PR: ${GITHUB_PR}"
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-prdoc.yml b/.github/workflows/check-prdoc.yml
index f47404744a..5503b61d68 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-prdoc.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-prdoc.yml
@@ -17,31 +17,25 @@ env:
 jobs:
   check-prdoc:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event.pull_request.number != ''
     steps:
+      - name: Checkout repo
+        uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 #v4.1.1
       # we cannot show the version in this step (ie before checking out the repo)
       # due to https://github.com/paritytech/prdoc/issues/15
-      - name: Skip merge queue
-        if: ${{ contains(github.ref, 'gh-readonly-queue') }}
-        run: exit 0
-      - name: Pull image
+      - name: Check if PRdoc is required
+        id: get-labels
         run: |
           echo "Pulling $IMAGE"
           $ENGINE pull $IMAGE
 
-      - name: Check if PRdoc is required
-        id: get-labels
-        run: |
           # Fetch the labels for the PR under test
           echo "Fetch the labels for $API_BASE/${REPO}/pulls/${GITHUB_PR}"
           labels=$( curl -H "Authorization: token ${GITHUB_TOKEN}" -s "$API_BASE/${REPO}/pulls/${GITHUB_PR}" | jq '.labels | .[] | .name' | tr "\n" ",")
           echo "Labels: ${labels}"
           echo "labels=${labels}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
-      - name: Checkout repo
-        uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 #v4.1.1
-
-      - name: Check PRDoc version
-        run: |
+          echo "Checking PRdoc version"
           $ENGINE run --rm -v $PWD:/repo $IMAGE --version
 
       - name: Early exit if PR is silent