diff --git a/.github/workflows/run_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/run_tests.yml
index b77e66a4e7..eaa7a8f878 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run_tests.yml
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ jobs:
 
         check_pattern "run_action_checks" '^\.github/(workflows/|actions/|actionlint.yml)|tooling/xtask|script/' -qP
         check_pattern "run_docs" '^(docs/|crates/.*\.rs)' -qP
-        check_pattern "run_licenses" '^(Cargo.lock|script/.*licenses)' -qP
+        check_pattern "run_licenses" '^(Cargo\.lock$|script/.*licenses|(?:.*/)?LICENSE[^/]*$)' -qP
         check_pattern "run_tests" '^(docs/|script/update_top_ranking_issues/|\.github/(ISSUE_TEMPLATE|workflows/(?!run_tests))|extensions/)' -qvP
         # Detect changed extension directories (excluding extensions/workflows)
         CHANGED_EXTENSIONS=$(echo "$CHANGED_FILES" | grep -oP '^extensions/[^/]+(?=/)' | sort -u | grep -v '^extensions/workflows$' || true)
diff --git a/tooling/xtask/src/tasks/workflows/run_tests.rs b/tooling/xtask/src/tasks/workflows/run_tests.rs
index 7ab25bcdec..25981b4259 100644
--- a/tooling/xtask/src/tasks/workflows/run_tests.rs
+++ b/tooling/xtask/src/tasks/workflows/run_tests.rs
@@ -36,8 +36,10 @@ pub(crate) fn run_tests() -> Workflow {
         "run_action_checks",
         r"^\.github/(workflows/|actions/|actionlint.yml)|tooling/xtask|script/",
     );
-    let should_check_licences =
-        PathCondition::new("run_licenses", r"^(Cargo.lock|script/.*licenses)");
+    let should_check_licences = PathCondition::new(
+        "run_licenses",
+        r"^(Cargo\.lock$|script/.*licenses|(?:.*/)?LICENSE[^/]*$)",
+    );
 
     let orchestrate = orchestrate(&[
         &should_check_scripts,