diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 0edafc5aa960..70ca13c2a634 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -494,15 +494,22 @@ jobs:
           if changes["result"] != "success":
               print(f"changes: {changes['result']}", file=sys.stderr)
               sys.exit(1)
-          preflight = needs["linux-preflight"]
-          if preflight["result"] != "success":
-              print(f"linux preflight did not pass: {preflight['result']}", file=sys.stderr)
-              sys.exit(1)
           outputs = changes.get("outputs", {})
           macos_route = outputs.get("macos")
           if macos_route not in {"true", "false"}:
               print(f"invalid route macos={macos_route!r}", file=sys.stderr)
               sys.exit(1)
+          preflight = needs["linux-preflight"]
+          if macos_route == "true":
+              if preflight["result"] != "success":
+                  print(f"linux preflight did not pass: {preflight['result']}", file=sys.stderr)
+                  sys.exit(1)
+          elif preflight["result"] not in {"success", "skipped"}:
+              print(
+                  f"linux preflight had unexpected result: {preflight['result']}",
+                  file=sys.stderr,
+              )
+              sys.exit(1)
           macos_result = needs["macos"]["result"]
           if macos_route == "true":
               if macos_result != "success":
@@ -530,7 +537,11 @@ jobs:
       - guards
       - ghosttykit-release-check
       - web
-    if: ${{ always() }}
+    # This job exists only to admit macOS work after the cheap layer passes.
+    # This replaces the old unconditional `if: ${{ always() }}`: if the change
+    # router explicitly says macOS is irrelevant, skip the runner allocation.
+    # Missing/invalid route output fails open by running the preflight.
+    if: ${{ always() && needs.changes.outputs.macos != 'false' }}
     runs-on: ${{ vars.LINUX_RUNNER || 'blacksmith-4vcpu-ubuntu-2404' }}
     timeout-minutes: 5
     steps:
diff --git a/tests/test_ci_linux_guard_routing.py b/tests/test_ci_linux_guard_routing.py
index 823515a2b1d0..55680ef191ab 100644
--- a/tests/test_ci_linux_guard_routing.py
+++ b/tests/test_ci_linux_guard_routing.py
@@ -9,7 +9,13 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from test_ci_change_areas import (
-    linux_preflight_needs, run_guard_status, run_linux_preflight, workflow_job_step_script,
+    linux_preflight_needs,
+    run_guard_status,
+    run_linux_preflight,
+    run_tests_gate,
+    tests_gate_needs,
+    workflow_job_block,
+    workflow_job_step_script,
 )
 
 
@@ -62,6 +68,24 @@ def test_candidate_router_cannot_disable_its_own_guards(self):
                 self.assertEqual(dict(line.split("=", 1) for line in output.read_text().splitlines()),
                                  dict.fromkeys(JOBS, "true"))
 
+    def test_linux_preflight_skips_when_macos_route_is_false(self):
+        block = workflow_job_block("linux-preflight")
+        self.assertIn(
+            "if: ${{ always() && needs.changes.outputs.macos != 'false' }}",
+            block,
+        )
+
+        no_macos = tests_gate_needs(macos="false", macos_result="skipped")
+        no_macos["linux-preflight"]["result"] = "skipped"
+        result = run_tests_gate(no_macos)
+        self.assertEqual(result.returncode, 0, result.stderr)
+
+        macos = tests_gate_needs()
+        macos["linux-preflight"]["result"] = "skipped"
+        result = run_tests_gate(macos)
+        self.assertNotEqual(result.returncode, 0)
+        self.assertIn("linux preflight did not pass: skipped", result.stderr)
+
     def test_docs_skip_all_five_guards_and_gate_succeeds(self):
         for path in ("CLAUDE.md", "AGENTS.md", "Packages/macOS/AGENTS.md",
                      "README.md", "README.ja.md", "docs/build.md", "plans/cache.md"):