diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f13c16ec..96d3b668 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -178,42 +178,44 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
-  # Path-filter no-op shadow for Canvas (Next.js).
+  # Canvas (Next.js) is a required check on staging branch protection.
+  # The job ALWAYS runs (no `if:` gate at job level) so branch protection
+  # always sees a SUCCESS conclusion. Inside, every meaningful step is
+  # gated on `needs.changes.outputs.canvas == 'true'` — when the PR
+  # doesn't touch canvas/**, the job spins up, skips all real work, and
+  # exits clean in ~10s.
   #
-  # Branch protection on staging requires a "Canvas (Next.js)" check.
-  # When a PR doesn't touch canvas/** paths, the real canvas-build job
-  # below is skipped via `if:`, and GitHub reports its conclusion as
-  # SKIPPED — which branch protection treats as not-passed → merge
-  # BLOCKED on every workspace-server-only or migration-only PR.
-  #
-  # Pattern (per durable feedback memory: branch_protection_check_name_parity):
-  # split into a real job + a no-op shadow that share the same `name:`.
-  # Exactly one runs per PR; both report the same check context, and at
-  # least one always reports SUCCESS, satisfying the required check.
-  canvas-build-noop:
-    name: Canvas (Next.js)
-    needs: changes
-    if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas != 'true'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - run: echo "No canvas/** changes in this PR — Canvas (Next.js) skip is intentional, satisfying required-check via this no-op."
-
+  # Why not a job-level `if:` + a no-op shadow:
+  # An earlier version (PR #2321) tried two jobs sharing the same `name:`
+  # — one with `if: == 'true'`, the other with `if: != 'true'`. Branch
+  # protection sees BOTH check runs and treats the SKIPPED one as
+  # not-passed even when the other reports SUCCESS — so the merge stays
+  # BLOCKED. Single-job-with-conditional-steps is the only shape that
+  # produces exactly one Canvas (Next.js) check run per commit AND
+  # always SUCCEEDS, regardless of which paths changed.
   canvas-build:
     name: Canvas (Next.js)
     needs: changes
-    if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     defaults:
       run:
         working-directory: canvas
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@34e114876b0b11c390a56381ad16ebd13914f8d5 # v4
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
+      - if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas != 'true'
+        working-directory: .
+        run: echo "No canvas/** changes — skipping real build steps; this job always runs to satisfy the required-check name on branch protection."
+      - if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas == 'true'
+        uses: actions/checkout@34e114876b0b11c390a56381ad16ebd13914f8d5 # v4
+      - if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas == 'true'
+        uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
         with:
           node-version: '22'
-      - run: rm -f package-lock.json && npm install
-      - run: npm run build
-      - name: Run tests with coverage
+      - if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas == 'true'
+        run: rm -f package-lock.json && npm install
+      - if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas == 'true'
+        run: npm run build
+      - if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas == 'true'
+        name: Run tests with coverage
         # Coverage instrumentation is configured in canvas/vitest.config.ts
         # (provider: v8, reporters: text + html + json-summary). Step 2 of
         # #1815 — wires coverage into CI so we get a baseline visible on
@@ -224,7 +226,7 @@ jobs:
         # thresholds + a hard gate" — this PR ships the observability half.
         run: npx vitest run --coverage
       - name: Upload coverage summary as artifact
-        if: always()
+        if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas == 'true' && always()
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02 # v4.6.2
         with:
           name: canvas-coverage-${{ github.run_id }}