diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index 2f0c84cf9f..72003e5a28 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ bindings_task:
     only_if: >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('pkg/bindings/test/**') ||
         (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))
     depends_on: &build
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ docker-py_test_task:
     only_if: >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('test/python/**') ||
         (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))
     depends_on: *build
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ unit_test_task:
     only_if: >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('**/*_test.go') ||
         (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))
     depends_on: *build
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ apiv2_test_task:
     only_if: >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('test/apiv2/**') ||
         (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))
     depends_on: *build
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ compose_test_task:
     only_if: >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('test/compose/**') ||
         (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))
     depends_on: *build
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ local_integration_test_task: &local_integration_test_task
     only_if: &only_if_int_test >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('test/e2e/**', 'test/utils/**') ||
         (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))
     depends_on: *build
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@ podman_machine_task:
     only_if: &only_if_machine_test >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('cmd/podman/machine/**', 'pkg/machine/**', '**/*machine*.go')
     depends_on: *build
     ec2_instance:
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@ local_system_test_task: &local_system_test_task
     only_if: &only_if_system_test >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('test/system/**') ||
         (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))
     depends_on: *build
@@ -929,7 +929,7 @@ minikube_test_task:
     only_if: >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('test/minikube/**', 'test/system/*.bash') ||
         (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))
     # 2024-05-21: flaking almost constantly since March.
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ farm_test_task:
     only_if: >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('test/farm/**', 'test/system/*.bash') ||
         (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))
     depends_on: *build
@@ -979,7 +979,7 @@ buildah_bud_test_task:
     only_if: >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('**/*build*.go', 'test/buildah-bud/**')
     depends_on: *build
     env:
@@ -1007,7 +1007,7 @@ upgrade_test_task:
     only_if: >-
         $CIRRUS_PR == '' ||
         $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' ||
-        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
+        changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') ||
         changesInclude('test/upgrade/**', 'test/system/*.bash') ||
         (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))
     depends_on: *build
diff --git a/contrib/cirrus/CIModes.md b/contrib/cirrus/CIModes.md
index 461fdc94de..cea7d13bdb 100644
--- a/contrib/cirrus/CIModes.md
+++ b/contrib/cirrus/CIModes.md
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ uses the following main rules:
    - `Makefile` (make targets are used to trigger tests)
    - `contrib/cirrus/**` (cirrus scripts to run the tests)
    - `vendor/**` (dependency updates)
+   - `test/tools/**` (test dependency code, i.e. ginkgo)
    - `hack/**` (contains scripts used by several tests)
    - `version/rawversion/*` (podman version changes, intended to ensure all release PRs test everything to not release known broken code)
 
diff --git a/contrib/cirrus/cirrus_yaml_test.py b/contrib/cirrus/cirrus_yaml_test.py
index 109b53c4be..b1d295690b 100755
--- a/contrib/cirrus/cirrus_yaml_test.py
+++ b/contrib/cirrus/cirrus_yaml_test.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class TestDependsOn(TestCaseBase):
 
     def test_only_if(self):
         """2024-07 PR#23174: ugly but necessary duplication in only_if conditions. Prevent typos or unwanted changes."""
-        beginning = "$CIRRUS_PR == '' || $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' || changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') || "
+        beginning = "$CIRRUS_PR == '' || $CIRRUS_CHANGE_TITLE =~ '.*CI:ALL.*' || changesInclude('.cirrus.yml', 'Makefile', 'contrib/cirrus/**', 'vendor/**', 'test/tools/**', 'hack/**', 'version/rawversion/*') || "
         real_source_changes = " || (changesInclude('**/*.go', '**/*.c') && !changesIncludeOnly('test/**', 'pkg/machine/e2e/**'))"
 
         for task_name in self.ALL_TASK_NAMES: