diff --git a/.github/actions/install-cargo-component/action.yml b/.github/actions/install-cargo-component/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7a23e0673ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/install-cargo-component/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+name: Install cargo-component
+description: Install cargo-component using a precompiled binary (taiki-e/install-action).
+
+# Replaces ad-hoc `cargo install cargo-component --locked || true` calls. The
+# precompiled-binary path takes a few seconds vs. several minutes for a source
+# install, and we no longer swallow install failures.
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: Install cargo-component
+      uses: taiki-e/install-action@62b0f2dec647a8e604c6a0fda0e38530180dce20 # v2
+      with:
+        tool: cargo-component
diff --git a/.github/workflows/code_style.yml b/.github/workflows/code_style.yml
index 2dcfedecb06..207aa37cabc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/code_style.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/code_style.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,19 @@
 name: Code Style
 on:
   pull_request:
+    paths-ignore:
+      - 'README.md'
+      - 'CHANGELOG.md'
+      - 'CONTRIBUTING.md'
+      - 'CLAUDE.md'
+      - 'AGENTS.md'
+      - 'COVERAGE_PLAN.md'
+      - 'FEATURE_PARITY.md'
+      - 'LICENSE-*'
+      - '*.png'
+      - '.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/**'
+      - '.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
   # Pushes to main/staging refresh the rust-cache entries that PR jobs
   # restore from. PR jobs themselves are restore-only (see `save-if`
   # on the rust-cache steps below).
@@ -8,6 +21,19 @@ on:
     branches:
       - main
       - staging
+    paths-ignore:
+      - 'README.md'
+      - 'CHANGELOG.md'
+      - 'CONTRIBUTING.md'
+      - 'CLAUDE.md'
+      - 'AGENTS.md'
+      - 'COVERAGE_PLAN.md'
+      - 'FEATURE_PARITY.md'
+      - 'LICENSE-*'
+      - '*.png'
+      - '.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/**'
+      - '.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -94,7 +120,13 @@ jobs:
 
   clippy-windows:
     name: Clippy Windows (${{ matrix.name }})
-    if: github.base_ref == 'main'
+    # Mirror the Linux clippy gating: PR to main runs the full matrix for
+    # Windows-specific feature coverage, push to main/staging runs only the
+    # all-features leg to warm the shared cache (which `windows-build`
+    # used to fill before it was removed from test.yml).
+    if: >
+      (github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.base_ref == 'main') ||
+      (github.event_name == 'push' && matrix.name == 'all-features')
     runs-on: windows-latest
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -117,11 +149,11 @@ jobs:
         components: clippy
     - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@e18b497796c12c097a38f9edb9d0641fb99eee32 # v2
       with:
-        # Share the per-variant Windows target cache with test.yml's
-        # windows-build job. That job runs on `push` to main (where save-if
-        # allows writes), so clippy-windows — which only runs on main PRs —
-        # can restore from a warm cache instead of cold-building every time.
-        key: windows-${{ matrix.name }}
+        # Single shared slot for all three Windows clippy legs. Mirrors the
+        # Linux clippy `shared-key: clippy` pattern: --all-features is a
+        # superset, so restoring from whichever variant saved last beats
+        # storing three near-duplicate Windows target/ caches.
+        shared-key: clippy-windows
         save-if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && (github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' || github.ref == 'refs/heads/staging') }}
     - name: Check lints
       run: cargo clippy --all --benches --tests --examples ${{ matrix.flags }} -- -D warnings
diff --git a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
index 074433d232d..faaa3d99fcc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
@@ -86,10 +86,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: taiki-e/install-action@62b0f2dec647a8e604c6a0fda0e38530180dce20 # cargo-llvm-cov
 
       - name: Install cargo-component
-        run: |
-          if ! command -v cargo-component >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            cargo install cargo-component --locked
-          fi
+        uses: ./.github/actions/install-cargo-component
 
       - name: Build WASM channels (for integration tests)
         run: ./scripts/build-wasm-extensions.sh --channels
@@ -150,10 +147,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: taiki-e/install-action@62b0f2dec647a8e604c6a0fda0e38530180dce20 # cargo-llvm-cov
 
       - name: Install cargo-component
-        run: |
-          if ! command -v cargo-component >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            cargo install cargo-component --locked
-          fi
+        uses: ./.github/actions/install-cargo-component
 
       - name: Build WASM channels
         run: ./scripts/build-wasm-extensions.sh --channels
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 7d23449e00f..2021738bbe6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -279,9 +279,9 @@ jobs:
           persist-credentials: false
           submodules: recursive
       - name: Install Rust toolchain + wasm target
-        run: |
-          rustup target add wasm32-wasip2
-          cargo install cargo-component --locked || true
+        run: rustup target add wasm32-wasip2
+      - name: Install cargo-component
+        uses: ./.github/actions/install-cargo-component
       - uses: swatinem/rust-cache@e18b497796c12c097a38f9edb9d0641fb99eee32 # v2
         with:
           key: wasm-extensions
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 388412fc0d9..2a81c8fcec2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -9,9 +9,35 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - main
+    paths-ignore:
+      - 'README.md'
+      - 'CHANGELOG.md'
+      - 'CONTRIBUTING.md'
+      - 'CLAUDE.md'
+      - 'AGENTS.md'
+      - 'COVERAGE_PLAN.md'
+      - 'FEATURE_PARITY.md'
+      - 'LICENSE-*'
+      - '*.png'
+      - '.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/**'
+      - '.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
   push:
     branches:
       - main
+    paths-ignore:
+      - 'README.md'
+      - 'CHANGELOG.md'
+      - 'CONTRIBUTING.md'
+      - 'CLAUDE.md'
+      - 'AGENTS.md'
+      - 'COVERAGE_PLAN.md'
+      - 'FEATURE_PARITY.md'
+      - 'LICENSE-*'
+      - '*.png'
+      - '.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/**'
+      - '.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -49,7 +75,7 @@ jobs:
           key: ${{ matrix.name }}
           save-if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && (github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' || github.ref == 'refs/heads/staging') }}
       - name: Install cargo-component
-        run: cargo install cargo-component --locked || true
+        uses: ./.github/actions/install-cargo-component
       - name: Build WASM channels (for integration tests)
         run: ./scripts/build-wasm-extensions.sh --channels
       - name: Run Tests
@@ -109,37 +135,6 @@ jobs:
           timeout --signal=INT --kill-after=30s 10m \
             cargo test --manifest-path channels-src/telegram/Cargo.toml -- --nocapture
 
-  windows-build:
-    name: Windows Build (${{ matrix.name }})
-    if: >
-      github.event_name != 'pull_request' ||
-      github.base_ref != 'staging'
-    runs-on: windows-latest
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        include:
-          - name: all-features
-            flags: "--no-default-features --features postgres,libsql,html-to-markdown,bedrock,import"
-          - name: default
-            flags: ""
-          - name: libsql-only
-            flags: "--no-default-features --features libsql"
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
-        with:
-          ref: ${{ inputs.ref || github.sha }}
-          persist-credentials: false
-      - name: Install Rust
-        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@29eef336d9b2848a0b548edc03f92a220660cdb8 # stable
-      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@e18b497796c12c097a38f9edb9d0641fb99eee32 # v2
-        with:
-          key: windows-${{ matrix.name }}
-          save-if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && (github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' || github.ref == 'refs/heads/staging') }}
-      - name: Check compilation
-        run: cargo check --all --benches --tests --examples ${{ matrix.flags }}
-
   wasm-wit-compat:
     name: WASM WIT Compatibility
     if: >
@@ -162,7 +157,7 @@ jobs:
           key: wasm-extensions
           save-if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && (github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' || github.ref == 'refs/heads/staging') }}
       - name: Install cargo-component
-        run: cargo install cargo-component --locked || true
+        uses: ./.github/actions/install-cargo-component
       - name: Build all WASM extensions against current WIT
         run: ./scripts/build-wasm-extensions.sh
       - name: Instantiation test (host linker compatibility)
@@ -224,7 +219,10 @@ jobs:
     name: Run Tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     if: always()
-    needs: [tests, heavy-integration-tests, telegram-tests, wasm-wit-compat, docker-build, windows-build, version-check, bench-compile]
+    # Windows compilation is covered by the clippy-windows job in
+    # code_style.yml (clippy implies cargo check), so no Windows job is needed
+    # here.
+    needs: [tests, heavy-integration-tests, telegram-tests, wasm-wit-compat, docker-build, version-check, bench-compile]
     steps:
       - run: |
           # Unit tests must always pass
@@ -237,12 +235,11 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
           # Gated jobs: must pass on promotion PRs / push, skipped on developer PRs
-          for job in telegram-tests wasm-wit-compat docker-build windows-build version-check bench-compile; do
+          for job in telegram-tests wasm-wit-compat docker-build version-check bench-compile; do
             case "$job" in
               telegram-tests) result="${{ needs.telegram-tests.result }}" ;;
               wasm-wit-compat) result="${{ needs.wasm-wit-compat.result }}" ;;
               docker-build) result="${{ needs.docker-build.result }}" ;;
-              windows-build) result="${{ needs.windows-build.result }}" ;;
               version-check) result="${{ needs.version-check.result }}" ;;
               bench-compile) result="${{ needs.bench-compile.result }}" ;;
             esac