diff --git a/.github/workflows/cross-bootstrap-tools.yml b/.github/workflows/cross-bootstrap-tools.yml
index ddb543dc3b068..21385064c5d25 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cross-bootstrap-tools.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cross-bootstrap-tools.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: Cross-build
+name: Cross-build kernel
 
 # XXX keep paths in sync
 on:
@@ -6,64 +6,81 @@ on:
     branches: [ main, 'stable/14', 'stable/13' ]
     paths:
       - 'sys/**'
-      - 'stand/**'
-
-      - 'bin/**'
-      - 'sbin/**'
-      - 'usr.bin/**'
-      - 'usr.sbin/**'
 
       # XXX What to build here?
       - 'Makefile'
       - 'Makefile.inc1'
 
       - '**/cross-bootstrap-tools.yml'
-
-      - '!**.[1-9]' # Ignore manpages
   pull_request:
     branches: [ main ]
     paths:
       - 'sys/**'
-      - 'stand/**'
-
-      - 'bin/**'
-      - 'sbin/**'
-      - 'usr.bin/**'
-      - 'usr.sbin/**'
 
       # XXX What to build here?
       - 'Makefile'
       - 'Makefile.inc1'
 
       - '**/cross-bootstrap-tools.yml'
-
-      - '!**.[1-9]' # Ignore manpages
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
-  modified_files:
-    name: get modified files
+  setup:
+    name: Setup
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
-      changes: ${{ steps.changes.outputs.files }}
+      archs: ${{ steps.archs.outputs.matches }}
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: get modified files
+      - name: checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: filter paths
+        uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
         id: changes
+        with:
+          base: ${{ github.ref_name }}
+          filters: |
+            amd64:
+              - 'sys/amd64/**'
+            i386:
+              - 'sys/i386/**'
+            arm64:
+              - 'sys/arm64/**'
+            arm:
+              - 'sys/arm/**'
+            powerpc:
+              - 'sys/powerpc/**'
+            riscv:
+              - 'sys/riscv/**'
+            all:
+              - '**/cross-bootstrap-tools.yml'
+      - name: match paths
+        id: archs
+        shell: bash
         run: |
-          echo "files=$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=ACMRT ${{ github.event.push.before }} ${{ github.sha }} | xargs)"
-          echo "files=$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=ACMRT ${{ github.event.push.before }} ${{ github.sha }} | xargs)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          if ${{ steps.changes.outputs.all }}; then
+              matches=(amd64 armv7 aarch64 i386 powerpc powerpc64 powerpc64le riscv64)
+          else
+            matches=()
+            if ${{ steps.changes.outputs.amd64 }}; then
+                matches+=(amd64)
+            fi
+            if ${{ steps.changes.outputs.arm64 }}; then
+                matches+=(aarch64)
+            fi
+          fi
+          matches="${matches[*]}"
+          echo "matches=[${matches// /,}]" | tee "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
   build:
-    name: ${{ matrix.target_arch }} buildkernel on ${{ matrix.os }} (${{ matrix.compiler }})
+    name: ${{ matrix.target_arch }} ${{ matrix.os }} (${{ matrix.compiler }})
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
-    needs: modified_files
+    needs: setup
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        target_arch: [ amd64, aarch64, powerpc ]
+        target_arch: amd64, powerpc
         os: [ ubuntu-22.04, ubuntu-24.04, macos-latest ]
         include:
           # TODO: both Ubuntu and macOS have bmake packages, we should try them instead of bootstrapping our own copy.
@@ -87,9 +104,6 @@ jobs:
             target: powerpc
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: check modified files
-        run: |
-          echo ${{ needs.modified_files.outputs.changes }} && exit 1
       - name: install packages (Ubuntu)
         if: runner.os == 'Linux'
         run: |