diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 74815818582f..3836d5e4048e 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -87,15 +87,15 @@ aliases:
         cat ${HOME}/project/.circleci/scripts/enable-vnc.sh >> ~/.bashrc
       fi
 
-  # Check if MMI Optional tests should run
-  - &check-mmi-optional
-    name: Check if MMI Optional tests should run
+  # Check if MMI tests should run
+  - &check-mmi-trigger
+    name: Check if MMI tests should run
     command: |
-      RUN_MMI_OPTIONAL=$(cat ./RUN_MMI_OPTIONAL)
-      if [[ "${RUN_MMI_OPTIONAL}" == "true" ]]; then
-        echo "Running MMI Optional tests"
+      source mmi_trigger.env
+      if [ "${run_mmi_tests}" == "true" ]; then
+        echo "Running MMI tests"
       else
-        echo "Skipping MMI Optional tests"
+        echo "Skipping MMI tests"
         circleci step halt
       fi
 
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ workflows:
       - trigger-beta-build:
           requires:
             - prep-deps
-      - check-pr-tag
+      - check-mmi-trigger
       - prep-deps
       - get-changed-files-with-git-diff:
           filters:
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ workflows:
       - prep-build-test-mmi-playwright:
           requires:
             - prep-deps
-            - check-pr-tag
+            - check-mmi-trigger
       - prep-build-storybook:
           requires:
             - prep-deps
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ workflows:
           requires:
             - prep-build-test-mmi
             - get-changed-files-with-git-diff
-      - test-e2e-mmi-playwright - OPTIONAL:
+      - test-e2e-mmi-playwright:
           requires:
             - prep-build-test-mmi-playwright
       - test-e2e-chrome-rpc-mmi:
@@ -421,39 +421,6 @@ jobs:
           name: Create GitHub Pull Request for version
           command: .circleci/scripts/release-create-release-pr.sh
 
-  check-pr-tag:
-    docker:
-      - image: cimg/base:stable
-    steps:
-      - run:
-          name: Check for MMI Team Tag
-          command: |
-            #!/bin/bash
-
-            GH_LABEL=team-mmi
-            if [ -z "$CIRCLE_PULL_REQUESTS" ]; then
-              echo "Skipping tag check; this is not a PR."
-              echo "false" > ./RUN_MMI_OPTIONAL
-              exit 0
-            fi
-
-            echo $CIRCLE_PULL_REQUESTS | sed 's/,/\n/g'
-
-            # See if any associated PRs have matching label
-            HAS_MATCHING_PR=$(echo $CIRCLE_PULL_REQUESTS \
-              | sed -e 's#,#\n#g' -e 's#/github.com/#/api.github.com/repos/#g' -e 's#/pull/#/pulls/#g' \
-              | xargs -n1 curl -s \
-              | jq -s "map((.labels|map(select(.name==\"${GH_LABEL}\"))))|flatten|length > 0")
-
-            echo "${GH_LABEL} tag presence: ${HAS_MATCHING_PR}"
-
-            # assign the RUN_MMI_OPTIONAL variable
-            echo "${HAS_MATCHING_PR}" > ./RUN_MMI_OPTIONAL
-      - persist_to_workspace:
-          root: .
-          paths:
-            - RUN_MMI_OPTIONAL
-
   prep-deps:
     executor: node-browsers-medium
     steps:
@@ -839,7 +806,7 @@ jobs:
       - run: corepack enable
       - attach_workspace:
           at: .
-      - run: *check-mmi-optional
+      - run: *check-mmi-trigger
       - run:
           name: Build MMI extension for Playwright e2e
           command: |
@@ -854,7 +821,6 @@ jobs:
       - persist_to_workspace:
           root: .
           paths:
-            - RUN_MMI_OPTIONAL
             - dist-test-mmi-playwright
             - builds-test-mmi-playwright
       - store_artifacts:
@@ -1306,7 +1272,7 @@ jobs:
       - store_test_results:
           path: test/test-results/e2e
 
-  test-e2e-mmi-playwright - OPTIONAL:
+  test-e2e-mmi-playwright:
     executor: playwright
     parallelism: 2
     steps:
@@ -1314,7 +1280,7 @@ jobs:
       - run: corepack enable
       - attach_workspace:
           at: .
-      - run: *check-mmi-optional
+      - run: *check-mmi-trigger
       - run:
           name: Move test build to dist
           command: mv ./dist-test-mmi-playwright ./dist
@@ -1743,3 +1709,18 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: All Tests Passed
           command: echo 'whew - everything passed!'
+
+  check-mmi-trigger:
+    executor: node-browsers-medium
+    steps:
+      - checkout
+      - run:
+          name: Check for MMI Team Label or Reviewer
+          command: ./.circleci/scripts/check_mmi_trigger.sh
+      - store_artifacts:
+          path: mmi_trigger.env
+          destination: mmi_trigger.env
+      - persist_to_workspace:
+          root: .
+          paths:
+            - mmi_trigger.env
diff --git a/.circleci/scripts/check_mmi_trigger.sh b/.circleci/scripts/check_mmi_trigger.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..2de2f69044d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.circleci/scripts/check_mmi_trigger.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -eo pipefail
+
+# Ensure required environment variables are set
+if [ -z "$CIRCLE_PULL_REQUEST" ] || [ -z "$GITHUB_TOKEN" ]; then
+  echo "This appears to be a fork or required environment variables are not set."
+  echo "Skipping MMI tests."
+  echo "run_mmi_tests=false" > mmi_trigger.env
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# Extract PR number from the pull request URL
+PR_NUMBER=$(echo "$CIRCLE_PULL_REQUEST" | awk -F'/' '{print $NF}')
+
+# Define repository details
+REPO_OWNER="$CIRCLE_PROJECT_USERNAME"
+REPO_NAME=$(basename "$CIRCLE_REPOSITORY_URL" .git)
+
+# Fetch PR details using GitHub API
+PR_DETAILS=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
+  "https://api.github.com/repos/$REPO_OWNER/$REPO_NAME/pulls/$PR_NUMBER")
+
+# Fetch submitted reviews
+SUBMITTED_REVIEWS=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
+  "https://api.github.com/repos/$REPO_OWNER/$REPO_NAME/pulls/$PR_NUMBER/reviews")
+
+# Check for label 'team-mmi'
+LABEL_EXISTS=$(jq -r '.labels[]? | select(.name == "team-mmi") | length > 0' <<< "$PR_DETAILS")
+
+# Check for individual reviewer 'mmi'
+REVIEWER_REQUESTED=$(jq -r '.requested_reviewers[]? | select(.login == "mmi") | length > 0' <<< "$PR_DETAILS")
+
+# Check for team reviewer 'mmi'
+TEAM_REQUESTED=$(jq -r '.requested_teams[]? | select(.slug == "mmi") | length > 0' <<< "$PR_DETAILS")
+
+# Check if 'mmi' submitted a review
+REVIEWER_SUBMITTED=$(jq -r '.[]? | select(.user.login == "mmi") | length > 0' <<< "$SUBMITTED_REVIEWS")
+
+# Determine which condition was met and trigger tests if needed
+if [[ "$LABEL_EXISTS" == "true" || "$REVIEWER_REQUESTED" == "true" || "$TEAM_REQUESTED" == "true" || "$REVIEWER_SUBMITTED" == "true" ]]; then
+  echo "run_mmi_tests=true" > mmi_trigger.env
+
+  # Log exactly which condition was met
+  echo "Conditions met:"
+  if [[ "$LABEL_EXISTS" == "true" ]]; then
+    echo "- Label 'team-mmi' found."
+  fi
+  if [[ "$REVIEWER_REQUESTED" == "true" ]]; then
+    echo "- Reviewer 'mmi' requested."
+  fi
+  if [[ "$TEAM_REQUESTED" == "true" ]]; then
+    echo "- Team 'mmi' requested."
+  fi
+  if [[ "$REVIEWER_SUBMITTED" == "true" ]]; then
+    echo "- Reviewer 'mmi' submitted a review."
+  fi
+else
+  echo "run_mmi_tests=false" > mmi_trigger.env
+  echo "Skipping MMI tests: Neither the 'team-mmi' label was found nor a reviewer from the 'MetaMask/mmi' team was assigned."
+fi