diff --git a/.github/workflows/go-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/go-ci.yml
index f4c4741..76cc5d7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go-ci.yml
@@ -7,13 +7,12 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
 
 jobs:
-  detect-go-ci-changes:
+  verify-and-build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    outputs:
-      should_run: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.should_run }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
       - name: Detect Go CI-impacting changes
         id: filter
         uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
@@ -26,61 +25,28 @@ jobs:
               - 'vendor/**'
               - '.github/workflows/go-ci.yml'
 
-  verify-and-build:
-    needs: detect-go-ci-changes
-    if: ${{ needs.detect-go-ci-changes.outputs.should_run == 'true' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repo
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
       - name: Set up Go
+        if: steps.filter.outputs.should_run == 'true'
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
           cache: true
 
       - name: Download dependencies
+        if: steps.filter.outputs.should_run == 'true'
         run: go mod download
 
       - name: Verify dependencies are synced
+        if: steps.filter.outputs.should_run == 'true'
         run: |
           go mod tidy
           go mod vendor
           git diff --exit-code -- go.mod go.sum
 
       - name: Build all packages
+        if: steps.filter.outputs.should_run == 'true'
         run: go build ./...
 
       - name: Run unit tests
+        if: steps.filter.outputs.should_run == 'true'
         run: go test ./...
-
-  go-ci-skipped:
-    needs: detect-go-ci-changes
-    if: ${{ needs.detect-go-ci-changes.outputs.should_run != 'true' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Go CI skipped by path filter
-        run: echo "No Go CI-impacting files changed. Skipping build and unit tests."
-
-  golang-validation-pipeline-status:
-    needs: [detect-go-ci-changes, verify-and-build, go-ci-skipped]
-    if: ${{ always() }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Check Go CI outcome
-        run: |
-          if [[ "${{ needs.detect-go-ci-changes.outputs.should_run }}" == "true" ]]; then
-            if [[ "${{ needs.verify-and-build.result }}" != "success" ]]; then
-              echo "Go validation was required and did not pass."
-              exit 1
-            fi
-            echo "Go validation passed."
-          else
-            if [[ "${{ needs.go-ci-skipped.result }}" != "success" ]]; then
-              echo "Go CI skip marker job failed."
-              exit 1
-            fi
-            echo "Go validation intentionally skipped."
-          fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/integration.yml b/.github/workflows/integration.yml
index 2679523..e7ef307 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/integration.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/integration.yml
@@ -7,13 +7,15 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
 
 jobs:
-  detect-integration-changes:
+  integration:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    outputs:
-      should_run: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.should_run }}
+    timeout-minutes: 30
+    env:
+      INTEGRATION_READY_TIMEOUT: 120s
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
       - name: Detect integration-impacting changes
         id: filter
         uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
@@ -30,58 +32,17 @@ jobs:
               - 'Makefile'
               - '.github/workflows/integration.yml'
 
-  integration:
-    needs: detect-integration-changes
-    if: ${{ needs.detect-integration-changes.outputs.should_run == 'true' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 30
-    env:
-      # Compose can be slow on runners (Kafka + topic init + server build)
-      INTEGRATION_READY_TIMEOUT: 120s
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repo
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
       - name: Set up Go
+        if: steps.filter.outputs.should_run == 'true'
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
           cache: true
 
-      # make integration = docker compose up + go test -tags=integration (see testing/Makefile)
       - name: Run integration tests
+        if: steps.filter.outputs.should_run == 'true'
         run: make integration
 
       - name: Tear down Compose
-        if: always()
+        if: always() && steps.filter.outputs.should_run == 'true'
         run: make teardown-integration
-
-  integration-skipped:
-    needs: detect-integration-changes
-    if: ${{ needs.detect-integration-changes.outputs.should_run != 'true' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Integration skipped by path filter
-        run: echo "No integration-impacting files changed. Skipping integration tests."
-
-  integration-pipeline-status:
-    needs: [detect-integration-changes, integration, integration-skipped]
-    if: ${{ always() }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Check integration outcome
-        run: |
-          if [[ "${{ needs.detect-integration-changes.outputs.should_run }}" == "true" ]]; then
-            if [[ "${{ needs.integration.result }}" != "success" ]]; then
-              echo "Integration tests were required and did not pass."
-              exit 1
-            fi
-            echo "Integration tests passed."
-          else
-            if [[ "${{ needs.integration-skipped.result }}" != "success" ]]; then
-              echo "Integration skip marker job failed."
-              exit 1
-            fi
-            echo "Integration tests intentionally skipped."
-          fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index 5145fa5..e26e4c0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -7,13 +7,11 @@ on:
     branches: [ "main", "master" ]
 
 jobs:
-  detect-lint-changes:
+  lint-code:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    outputs:
-      should_run: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.should_run }}
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout repo
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
       - name: Detect lint-impacting changes
         id: filter
         uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
@@ -29,51 +27,16 @@ jobs:
               - '.golangci.toml'
               - '.golangci.json'
 
-  lint:
-    name: lint-code
-    needs: detect-lint-changes
-    if: ${{ needs.detect-lint-changes.outputs.should_run == 'true' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
       - name: Set up Go
+        if: steps.filter.outputs.should_run == 'true'
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
           go-version-file: 'go.mod'
-          cache: false # golangci-lint-action handles its own caching
+          cache: false
 
       - name: golangci-lint
+        if: steps.filter.outputs.should_run == 'true'
         uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v7
         with:
           version: v2.11.4
           args: --timeout=5m
-
-  lint-skipped:
-    needs: detect-lint-changes
-    if: ${{ needs.detect-lint-changes.outputs.should_run != 'true' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Lint skipped by path filter
-        run: echo "No lint-impacting files changed. Skipping golangci-lint."
-
-  lint-pipeline-status:
-    needs: [detect-lint-changes, lint, lint-skipped]
-    if: ${{ always() }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Check lint outcome
-        run: |
-          if [[ "${{ needs.detect-lint-changes.outputs.should_run }}" == "true" ]]; then
-            if [[ "${{ needs.lint.result }}" != "success" ]]; then
-              echo "Lint was required and did not pass."
-              exit 1
-            fi
-            echo "Lint passed."
-          else
-            if [[ "${{ needs.lint-skipped.result }}" != "success" ]]; then
-              echo "Lint skip marker job failed."
-              exit 1
-            fi
-            echo "Lint intentionally skipped."
-          fi