diff --git a/.github/workflows/mutation.yml b/.github/workflows/mutation.yml
index 2b926a2..335fae8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mutation.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mutation.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@ name: Mutation Testing
 on:
   push:
     branches: [master]
+    paths:
+      - "**/*.go"
+      - "**/testdata/**"
+      - go.mod
+      - go.sum
+      - .github/workflows/mutation.yml
   pull_request:
     branches: [master]
 
@@ -15,6 +21,9 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 60
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+        with:
+          # --git-diff-lines needs the base branch and merge-base history.
+          fetch-depth: 0
       - uses: actions/setup-go@4a3601121dd01d1626a1e23e37211e3254c1c06c # v6.4.0
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
@@ -28,13 +37,27 @@ jobs:
         #   cmd/               - integration tests re-invoke the binary (would recurse)
         #   internal/importing  - resolution behaviour depends on GOPATH layout; excluded from mutation targets
         #   internal/parser     - excluded from mutation targets (type-checker setup is test-infrastructure, not user logic)
+        # Pull requests mutate only lines in the PR. Pushes to master retain the full-tree
+        # gate so a faulty diff filter cannot hide a regression permanently.
         # --coverage generates a profile before mutation to compute covered-code MSI
         # and marks mutants in untested code as "not covered" rather than running them.
         # --min-msi and --min-covered-msi enforce quality gates.
+        env:
+          EVENT_NAME: ${{ github.event_name }}
         run: |
+          scope_args=()
+          if [[ "$EVENT_NAME" == "pull_request" ]]; then
+            scope_args=(
+              --git-diff-lines
+              --git-diff-base origin/master
+              --ignore-msi-with-no-mutations
+            )
+          fi
+
           go-mutesting \
             --exec-timeout 30 \
             --coverage \
+            "${scope_args[@]}" \
             --min-msi 75 \
             --min-covered-msi 80 \
             github.com/jonbaldie/go-mutesting/v2/mutator/arithmetic \
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 58ab46c..11e875b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented here.
 
 Format follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/). This project uses [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Changed
+- Mutation CI now tests only lines changed by a pull request, while retaining the full-tree gate for code-related pushes to `master`. Pull requests with no mutable changes pass without running mutants.
+
+---
+
 ## [v2.7.8] — 2026-07-13
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index a7c9034..ff3f13b 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -71,9 +71,10 @@ git config core.hooksPath githooks
 
 `pre-commit` runs the fast, whole-tree, deterministic checks (gofmt, go vet, gocyclo,
 ineffassign, messgo, build, unit tests) and hard-fails on any finding or missing tool.
-`pre-push` runs mutation testing scoped to the diff against `origin/master` via
-`--git-diff-lines`. Vulnerability scanning (`security.yml`) depends on external advisory
-feeds and stays CI-only; it is not mirrored locally.
+`pre-push` mirrors the pull-request mutation gate, scoped to the diff against
+`origin/master` via `--git-diff-lines`. CI retains a full-tree mutation gate for
+code-related pushes to `master`. Vulnerability scanning (`security.yml`) depends on external
+advisory feeds and stays CI-only; it is not mirrored locally.
 
 ## Shipping workflow
 
diff --git a/docs/ci.md b/docs/ci.md
index c5af65c..be80cc1 100644
--- a/docs/ci.md
+++ b/docs/ci.md
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ Once you've written tests to kill the known survivors, remove them from the base
 Limit mutation to lines changed in the PR to keep feedback fast and relevant:
 
 ```yaml
+- uses: actions/checkout@v6
+  with:
+    # Required so go-mutesting can resolve the base branch and merge-base.
+    fetch-depth: 0
+
 - run: |
     /tmp/go-mutesting \
       --git-diff-lines \
diff --git a/githooks/pre-push b/githooks/pre-push
index 315fd80..1d8548b 100755
--- a/githooks/pre-push
+++ b/githooks/pre-push
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-# Local mirror of .github/workflows/mutation.yml, scoped to the diff against
-# origin/master instead of the whole tree (mutation testing is slow; running it
-# whole-tree on every push is not viable locally). Hard-fails on escaped
-# mutants, on a gate miss, and on any missing tool - no silent skips.
+# Local mirror of .github/workflows/mutation.yml's pull-request mode, scoped to
+# the diff against origin/master. CI retains a full-tree gate for code pushes to
+# master. Hard-fails on escaped mutants, on a gate miss, and on any missing tool -
+# no silent skips.
 #
 # Not opt-out by default. To enable this hook, run once:
 #   git config core.hooksPath githooks
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ if ! go build -o "$GO_MUTESTING_BIN" ./cmd/go-mutesting; then
 fi
 
 echo "pre-push: running mutation testing scoped to the diff against origin/master..."
-# Same package list, timeout, and quality gates as .github/workflows/mutation.yml
-# and CLAUDE.md, restricted to changed lines via --git-diff-lines/--git-diff-base.
+# Same package list, timeout, quality gates, and changed-line scope as the
+# pull-request mode in .github/workflows/mutation.yml and CLAUDE.md.
 # --ignore-msi-with-no-mutations avoids failing pushes that don't touch these
 # packages at all.
 STATUS=0