diff --git a/.github/workflows/nf-test.yml b/.github/workflows/nf-test.yml
index a2a0d91fb..d1d4df968 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nf-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nf-test.yml
@@ -1,12 +1,6 @@
 name: Run nf-test
 on:
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - "docs/**"
-      - "**/meta.yml"
-      - "**/*.md"
-      - "**/*.png"
-      - "**/*.svg"
   release:
     types: [published]
   workflow_dispatch:
@@ -121,7 +115,7 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
   confirm-pass:
-    needs: [nf-test]
+    needs: [nf-test-changes, nf-test]
     if: always()
     runs-on: # use self-hosted runners
       - runs-on=${{ github.run_id }}-confirm-pass
@@ -142,7 +136,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: debug-print
         if: always()
         run: |
-          echo "::group::DEBUG: `needs` Contents"
+          echo "::group::DEBUG: needs Contents"
           echo "DEBUG: toJSON(needs) = ${{ toJSON(needs) }}"
           echo "DEBUG: toJSON(needs.*.result) = ${{ toJSON(needs.*.result) }}"
           echo "::endgroup::"
diff --git a/.nf-core.yml b/.nf-core.yml
index 97363fb73..bf0502b2d 100644
--- a/.nf-core.yml
+++ b/.nf-core.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 lint:
+  actions_nf_test: false
   files_exist:
     - conf/modules.config
   files_unchanged:
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d5c45983f..dfe2cc88a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Special thanks to the following for their contributions to the release:
 ### Enhancements and fixes
 
 - [PR #1608](https://github.com/nf-core/rnaseq/pull/1608) - Bump version after release 3.21.0
+- [PR #1618](https://github.com/nf-core/rnaseq/pull/1618) - Fix CI: Ensure confirm-pass job runs for markdown-only PRs
 - [PR #1617](https://github.com/nf-core/rnaseq/pull/1617) - Update bbmap/bbsplit module
 
 ## [[3.21.0](https://github.com/nf-core/rnaseq/releases/tag/3.21.0)] - 2025-09-18