diff --git a/.github/workflows/check.yml b/.github/workflows/check.yml
index ded8bad536c47..9192264266a1c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ on:
       mergedSha:
         required: true
         type: string
+      ownersCanFail:
+        required: true
+        type: boolean
       targetSha:
         required: true
         type: string
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@ jobs:
   # handling untrusted PR input.
   owners:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-arm
+    continue-on-error: ${{ inputs.ownersCanFail }}
     timeout-minutes: 5
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-group.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-group.yml
index dac02065debf2..9af5cf0ebb71f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-group.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-group.yml
@@ -26,19 +26,30 @@ jobs:
       mergedSha: ${{ inputs.mergedSha || github.event.merge_group.head_sha }}
       targetSha: ${{ inputs.targetSha || github.event.merge_group.base_sha }}
 
-  # This job's only purpose is to serve as a target for the "Required Status Checks" branch ruleset.
+  # This job's only purpose is to create the target for the "Required Status Checks" branch ruleset.
   # It "needs" all the jobs that should block the Merge Queue.
-  # If they pass, it is skipped — which counts as "success" for purposes of the branch ruleset.
-  # However, if any of them fail, this job will also fail — thus blocking the branch ruleset.
-  no-pr-failures:
+  unlock:
+    if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
     # Modify this list to add or remove jobs from required status checks.
     needs:
       - lint
-    # WARNING:
-    # Do NOT change the name of this job, otherwise the rule will not catch it anymore.
-    # This would prevent all PRs from passing the merge queue.
-    name: no PR failures
-    if: ${{ failure() }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-arm
+    permissions:
+      statuses: write
     steps:
-      - run: exit 1
+      - uses: actions/github-script@60a0d83039c74a4aee543508d2ffcb1c3799cdea # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          script: |
+            const { serverUrl, repo, runId, payload } = context
+            const target_url =
+              `${serverUrl}/${repo.owner}/${repo.repo}/actions/runs/${runId}`
+            await github.rest.repos.createCommitStatus({
+              ...repo,
+              sha: payload.merge_group.head_sha,
+              // WARNING:
+              // Do NOT change the name of this, otherwise the rule will not catch it anymore.
+              // This would prevent all PRs from merging.
+              context: 'no PR failures',
+              state: 'success',
+              target_url,
+            })
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
index a7720df7226ad..81f0f1d0f5074 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ jobs:
       headBranch: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.headBranch }}
       mergedSha: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.mergedSha }}
       targetSha: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.targetSha }}
+      ownersCanFail: ${{ !contains(fromJSON(needs.prepare.outputs.touched), 'owners') }}
 
   lint:
     name: Lint
@@ -119,26 +120,33 @@ jobs:
       baseBranch: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.baseBranch }}
       mergedSha: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.mergedSha }}
 
-  # This job's only purpose is to serve as a target for the "Required Status Checks" branch ruleset.
+  # This job's only purpose is to create the target for the "Required Status Checks" branch ruleset.
   # It "needs" all the jobs that should block merging a PR.
-  # If they pass, it is skipped — which counts as "success" for purposes of the branch ruleset.
-  # However, if any of them fail, this job will also fail — thus blocking the branch ruleset.
-  no-pr-failures:
+  unlock:
+    if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
     # Modify this list to add or remove jobs from required status checks.
     needs:
       - check
       - lint
       - eval
       - build
-    # WARNING:
-    # Do NOT change the name of this job, otherwise the rule will not catch it anymore.
-    # This would prevent all PRs from merging.
-    name: no PR failures
-    # A single job is "cancelled" when it hits its timeout. This is not the same
-    # as "skipped", which happens when the `if` condition doesn't apply.
-    # The "cancelled()" function only checks the whole workflow, but not individual
-    # jobs.
-    if: ${{ failure() || contains(needs.*.result, 'cancelled') }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-arm
+    permissions:
+      statuses: write
     steps:
-      - run: exit 1
+      - uses: actions/github-script@60a0d83039c74a4aee543508d2ffcb1c3799cdea # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          script: |
+            const { serverUrl, repo, runId, payload } = context
+            const target_url =
+              `${serverUrl}/${repo.owner}/${repo.repo}/actions/runs/${runId}?pr=${payload.pull_request.number}`
+            await github.rest.repos.createCommitStatus({
+              ...repo,
+              sha: payload.pull_request.head.sha,
+              // WARNING:
+              // Do NOT change the name of this, otherwise the rule will not catch it anymore.
+              // This would prevent all PRs from merging.
+              context: 'no PR failures',
+              state: 'success',
+              target_url,
+            })
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index f26c371a55639..b3c2c6c598631 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ jobs:
     name: Merge Group
     needs: [prepare]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/merge-group.yml
+    # Those are actually only used on the merge_group event, but will throw an error if not set.
+    permissions:
+      statuses: write
     secrets:
       CACHIX_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CACHIX_AUTH_TOKEN }}
     with:
@@ -87,7 +90,7 @@ jobs:
     name: PR
     needs: [prepare]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/pr.yml
-    # Those are not actually used on pull_request, but will throw an error if not set.
+    # Those are actually only used on the pull_request_target event, but will throw an error if not set.
     permissions:
       issues: write
       pull-requests: write
@@ -102,7 +105,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Push
     needs: [prepare]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/push.yml
-    # Those are not actually used on push, but will throw an error if not set.
+    # Those are not actually used on the push or pull_request events, but will throw an error if not set.
     permissions:
       statuses: write
     secrets:
diff --git a/ci/github-script/prepare.js b/ci/github-script/prepare.js
index fb000cb6820a6..0fcec880f3763 100644
--- a/ci/github-script/prepare.js
+++ b/ci/github-script/prepare.js
@@ -76,8 +76,10 @@ module.exports = async ({ github, context, core }) => {
       })
     ).map((file) => file.filename)
 
-    if (files.includes('ci/pinned.json')) core.setOutput('touched', ['pinned'])
-    else core.setOutput('touched', [])
+    const touched = []
+    if (files.includes('ci/pinned.json')) touched.push('pinned')
+    if (files.includes('ci/OWNERS')) touched.push('owners')
+    core.setOutput('touched', touched)
 
     return
   }