diff --git a/.github/workflows/ifx_package_core.yml b/.github/workflows/ifx_package_core.yml
index 5113e58fa..2f1b64814 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ifx_package_core.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ifx_package_core.yml
@@ -90,8 +90,14 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           # Set up basic environment for later steps
           CORE_VER=$(extra/get_core_version.sh)
+          ALL_BOARD_DATA=$(extra/get_board_details.sh | jq -c 'sort_by(.variant)')
+          if [[ "${{ github.event_name }}" == "push" ]]; then
+            # limit direct pushes to this board family's own boards; PRs still
+            # validate the full board matrix before merge
+            ALL_BOARD_DATA=$(jq -c 'map(select(.feature_board == true))' <<< "${ALL_BOARD_DATA}")
+          fi
           echo "CORE_HASH=$(git describe --always $HEAD_REF)" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
-          echo "ALL_BOARD_DATA=$(extra/get_board_details.sh | jq -c 'sort_by(.variant)')" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "ALL_BOARD_DATA=${ALL_BOARD_DATA}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           echo "CORE_VER=${CORE_VER}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           echo "CORE_VER=${CORE_VER}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
diff --git a/extra/package_core.sh b/extra/package_core.sh
index 77b431480..68bade0c7 100755
--- a/extra/package_core.sh
+++ b/extra/package_core.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ log_msg() {
 
 # we use variants for include because we filter on file paths
 # and boards for exclude because we want to remove matching lines in boards.txt
-BOARD_DETAILS=$(extra/get_board_details.sh)
+BOARD_DETAILS=${ALL_BOARD_DATA:-$(extra/get_board_details.sh)}
 if [ $ARTIFACT == "zephyr" ] ; then
 	INCLUDED_VARIANTS=$(echo ${BOARD_DETAILS} | jq -cr ".[].variant")
 	EXCLUDED_BOARDS=""