diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-CI.yml b/.github/workflows/python-CI.yml
index b691eea968..a4470f2c09 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-CI.yml
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ jobs:
 
   ruff:
     name: Ruff
+    needs: changes
+    if: ${{ needs.changes.outputs.phoenix == 'true' }}
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -163,15 +165,6 @@ jobs:
           sparse-checkout: |
             requirements/
             src/phoenix/
-      - name: Remove symbolic links (Non-Windows)
-        run: find . -type l -delete
-        if: runner.os != 'Windows'
-      - name: Remove symbolic links (Windows)
-        run: |
-          Remove-Item src/phoenix/evals
-          Remove-Item src/phoenix/otel
-        shell: powershell
-        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
       - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.py }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
@@ -209,15 +202,6 @@ jobs:
             src/phoenix/
             tests/unit/
             tests/conftest.py
-      - name: Remove symbolic links (non-Windows)
-        run: find . -type l -delete
-        if: runner.os != 'Windows'
-      - name: Remove symbolic links (Windows)
-        run: |
-          Remove-Item src/phoenix/evals
-          Remove-Item src/phoenix/otel
-        shell: powershell
-        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
       - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.py }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
@@ -261,15 +245,6 @@ jobs:
             requirements/
             src/phoenix/
             tests/integration/
-      - name: Remove symbolic links (Non-Windows)
-        run: find . -type l -delete
-        if: runner.os != 'Windows'
-      - name: Remove symbolic links (Windows)
-        run: |
-          Remove-Item src/phoenix/evals
-          Remove-Item src/phoenix/otel
-        shell: powershell
-        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
       - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.py }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
@@ -328,15 +303,6 @@ jobs:
             requirements/
             src/phoenix/
             tests/integration/
-      - name: Remove symbolic links (non-Windows)
-        run: find . -type l -delete
-        if: runner.os != 'Windows'
-      - name: Remove symbolic links (Windows)
-        run: |
-          Remove-Item src/phoenix/evals
-          Remove-Item src/phoenix/otel
-        shell: powershell
-        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
       - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.py }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ab89cef217..e8c1f8e1db 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -34,3 +34,7 @@ examples/agent_framework_comparison/utils/saved_traces/*.parquet
 # python environments
 .conda
 .venv
+
+# Symbolic links
+src/phoenix/evals
+src/phoenix/otel
diff --git a/src/phoenix/evals b/src/phoenix/evals
deleted file mode 120000
index 4a14662a6a..0000000000
--- a/src/phoenix/evals
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../packages/phoenix-evals/src/phoenix/evals
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/phoenix/otel b/src/phoenix/otel
deleted file mode 120000
index cf084128a5..0000000000
--- a/src/phoenix/otel
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../packages/phoenix-otel/src/phoenix/otel/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 04565704f3..1cfa63bd7e 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -60,3 +60,19 @@ commands_pre =
   uv pip install --reinstall .
 commands =
   mypy {posargs:.}
+
+[testenv:add_symlinks]
+changedir = src/phoenix
+allowlist_externals =
+  ln
+commands =
+  ln -sf ../../packages/phoenix-evals/src/phoenix/evals evals
+  ln -sf ../../packages/phoenix-otel/src/phoenix/otel otel
+
+[testenv:remove_symlinks]
+changedir = src/phoenix
+allowlist_externals =
+  unlink
+commands =
+  unlink evals
+  unlink otel