diff --git a/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master.yaml b/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master.yaml
index ce2a56179903a..0cc3d4df3dac0 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master.yaml
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ tests:
       GKE_CLUSTER_VERSION: latest
       TEST_SUITE: gke-ui-e2e-tests
     workflow: stackrox-stackrox-e2e-job
-- always_run: true
-  as: gke-nongroovy-e2e-tests
+- as: gke-nongroovy-e2e-tests
+  skip_if_only_changed: ^ui/
   steps:
     env:
       COLLECTION_METHOD: core_bpf
@@ -152,9 +152,9 @@ tests:
       GKE_CLUSTER_VERSION: latest
       TEST_SUITE: gke-operator-e2e-tests
     workflow: stackrox-stackrox-e2e-job
-- always_run: true
-  as: gke-upgrade-tests
+- as: gke-upgrade-tests
   optional: true
+  skip_if_only_changed: ^ui/
   steps:
     workflow: stackrox-stackrox-e2e-job
 - always_run: false
diff --git a/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-12.yaml b/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-12.yaml
index 172399bab51e2..19724f7e5a07b 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-12.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-12.yaml
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ tests:
       OCP_VERSION: ocp/stable-4.12
       TEST_SUITE: ocp-compliance-e2e-tests
     workflow: stackrox-automation-flavors-ocp-4-e2e
-- always_run: true
-  as: nongroovy-e2e-tests
+- as: nongroovy-e2e-tests
   optional: true
+  skip_if_only_changed: ^ui/
   steps:
     env:
       COLLECTION_METHOD: core_bpf
diff --git a/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-21.yaml b/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-21.yaml
index f78d8243f58d2..062c13fa76605 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-21.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-21.yaml
@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@ tests:
       OCP_VERSION: ocp/candidate-4.21
       TEST_SUITE: ocp-compliance-e2e-tests
     workflow: stackrox-automation-flavors-ocp-4-e2e
-- always_run: true
-  as: nongroovy-e2e-tests
+- as: nongroovy-e2e-tests
   optional: true
+  skip_if_only_changed: ^ui/
   steps:
     env:
       COLLECTION_METHOD: core_bpf
diff --git a/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-22.yaml b/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-22.yaml
index e0fd11d863ee5..d30c388427599 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-22.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master__ocp-4-22.yaml
@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@ tests:
       OCP_VERSION: ocp/candidate-4.22
       TEST_SUITE: ocp-compliance-e2e-tests
     workflow: stackrox-automation-flavors-ocp-4-e2e
-- always_run: true
-  as: nongroovy-e2e-tests
+- as: nongroovy-e2e-tests
   optional: true
+  skip_if_only_changed: ^ui/
   steps:
     env:
       COLLECTION_METHOD: core_bpf
diff --git a/ci-operator/jobs/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master-presubmits.yaml b/ci-operator/jobs/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master-presubmits.yaml
index b5dd302cb4666..8a602cfed06e4 100644
--- a/ci-operator/jobs/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master-presubmits.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/jobs/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master-presubmits.yaml
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ presubmits:
           secretName: result-aggregator
     trigger: (?m)^/test( | .* )gke-nongroovy-compatibility-tests,?($|\s.*)
   - agent: kubernetes
-    always_run: true
+    always_run: false
     branches:
     - ^master$
     - ^master-
@@ -744,6 +744,7 @@ presubmits:
       pj-rehearse.openshift.io/can-be-rehearsed: "true"
     name: pull-ci-stackrox-stackrox-master-gke-nongroovy-e2e-tests
     rerun_command: /test gke-nongroovy-e2e-tests
+    skip_if_only_changed: ^ui/
     spec:
       containers:
       - args:
@@ -1622,7 +1623,7 @@ presubmits:
           secretName: result-aggregator
     trigger: (?m)^/test( | .* )gke-ui-e2e-tests,?($|\s.*)
   - agent: kubernetes
-    always_run: true
+    always_run: false
     branches:
     - ^master$
     - ^master-
@@ -1637,6 +1638,7 @@ presubmits:
     name: pull-ci-stackrox-stackrox-master-gke-upgrade-tests
     optional: true
     rerun_command: /test gke-upgrade-tests
+    skip_if_only_changed: ^ui/
     spec:
       containers:
       - args:
@@ -2185,7 +2187,7 @@ presubmits:
           secretName: result-aggregator
     trigger: (?m)^/test( | .* )ocp-4-12-compliance-e2e-tests,?($|\s.*)
   - agent: kubernetes
-    always_run: true
+    always_run: false
     branches:
     - ^master$
     - ^master-
@@ -2201,6 +2203,7 @@ presubmits:
     name: pull-ci-stackrox-stackrox-master-ocp-4-12-nongroovy-e2e-tests
     optional: true
     rerun_command: /test ocp-4-12-nongroovy-e2e-tests
+    skip_if_only_changed: ^ui/
     spec:
       containers:
       - args:
@@ -2721,7 +2724,7 @@ presubmits:
           secretName: result-aggregator
     trigger: (?m)^/test( | .* )ocp-4-21-fips-qa-e2e-tests,?($|\s.*)
   - agent: kubernetes
-    always_run: true
+    always_run: false
     branches:
     - ^master$
     - ^master-
@@ -2737,6 +2740,7 @@ presubmits:
     name: pull-ci-stackrox-stackrox-master-ocp-4-21-nongroovy-e2e-tests
     optional: true
     rerun_command: /test ocp-4-21-nongroovy-e2e-tests
+    skip_if_only_changed: ^ui/
     spec:
       containers:
       - args:
@@ -3335,7 +3339,7 @@ presubmits:
           secretName: result-aggregator
     trigger: (?m)^/test( | .* )ocp-4-22-fips-qa-e2e-tests,?($|\s.*)
   - agent: kubernetes
-    always_run: true
+    always_run: false
     branches:
     - ^master$
     - ^master-
@@ -3351,6 +3355,7 @@ presubmits:
     name: pull-ci-stackrox-stackrox-master-ocp-4-22-nongroovy-e2e-tests
     optional: true
     rerun_command: /test ocp-4-22-nongroovy-e2e-tests
+    skip_if_only_changed: ^ui/
     spec:
       containers:
       - args: