diff --git a/.github/workflows/dev.yml b/.github/workflows/dev.yml
index 3ac088d3c8..8ec5a3c2db 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dev.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dev.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   pre-commit:
-    name: "pre-commit and title check"
+    name: "pre-commit"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -38,11 +38,6 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
           persist-credentials: false
 
-      - name: Check PR title for conventional commit format
-        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
-        run: |
-          python .github/workflows/dev_pr/title_check.py $(pwd) "${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}"
-
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
           go-version-file: 'go/adbc/go.mod'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dev_pr.yml b/.github/workflows/dev_pr.yml
index 65f352e076..ba33678b4c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dev_pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dev_pr.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,17 @@ jobs:
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
 
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          path: pr_checkout
+          persist-credentials: false
+          ref: "${{ github.event.pull_request.merge_commit_sha }}"
+
+      - name: Check PR title for conventional commit format
+        run: |
+          python .github/workflows/dev_pr/title_check.py $(pwd)/pr_checkout "${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}"
+
       - name: Assign milestone
         if: always()
         env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dev_pr/title_check.py b/.github/workflows/dev_pr/title_check.py
index 9297b96f69..e06164b6df 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dev_pr/title_check.py
+++ b/.github/workflows/dev_pr/title_check.py
@@ -63,25 +63,26 @@ def matches_commit_format(root: Path, title: str) -> typing.List[str]:
         reasons.append(f"Invalid commit type: {commit_type}")
 
     components = m.group(2)
-    if not components.strip():
-        reasons.append("Invalid components: must not be empty")
-
-    components = components.split(",")
-    for component in components:
-        if component != component.strip():
-            reasons.append(
-                f"Invalid component: must have no trailing space: {component}"
-            )
-        elif not valid_component.match(component):
-            reasons.append(
-                "Invalid component: must be alphanumeric with "
-                f"dashes, slashes, and underscores: {component}"
-            )
-        elif component != "format" and not Path(component).exists():
-            reasons.append(
-                "Invalid component: must reference a file "
-                f"or directory in the repo: {component}"
-            )
+    if components is not None:
+        if not components.strip():
+            reasons.append("Invalid components: must not be empty")
+        else:
+            components = components.split(",")
+            for component in components:
+                if component != component.strip():
+                    reasons.append(
+                        f"Invalid component: must have no trailing space: {component}"
+                    )
+                elif not valid_component.match(component):
+                    reasons.append(
+                        "Invalid component: must be alphanumeric with "
+                        f"dashes, slashes, and underscores: {component}"
+                    )
+                elif component != "format" and not Path(component).exists():
+                    reasons.append(
+                        "Invalid component: must reference a file "
+                        f"or directory in the repo: {component}"
+                    )
 
     subject = m.group(3)
     if subject.strip() != subject: