diff --git a/.readthedocs.yaml b/.readthedocs.yaml
index 1dabec70ba5..d2a400f46b9 100644
--- a/.readthedocs.yaml
+++ b/.readthedocs.yaml
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ build:
     python: "3.12"
   jobs:
     post_checkout:
-      - bash docs/pre_run_check.sh
       - git fetch origin main --unshallow --no-tags --filter=blob:none || true
+      - bash docs/pre_run_check.sh
     pre_create_environment:
       - pip install uv
     create_environment:
diff --git a/docs/pre_run_check.sh b/docs/pre_run_check.sh
index de93f82faf1..464766c42ec 100644
--- a/docs/pre_run_check.sh
+++ b/docs/pre_run_check.sh
@@ -1,41 +1,60 @@
-if [ "$READTHEDOCS_VERSION_TYPE" = "external" ]; then
-  MAX_WAIT=300
-  INTERVAL=60
-  ELAPSED=0
-  while :; do
-    RAW=$(curl -sS -w "\n%{http_code}" "https://api.github.com/repos/vllm-project/vllm/commits/${READTHEDOCS_GIT_COMMIT_HASH}/check-runs?check_name=pre-run-check&filter=latest")
-    HTTP_CODE=$(printf %s "$RAW" | tail -n1)
-    BODY=$(printf %s "$RAW" | sed '$d')
-    if [ "$HTTP_CODE" != "200" ]; then
-      echo "GitHub API returned HTTP $HTTP_CODE (likely rate-limited); skipping pre-run-check gate."
-      break
-    fi
-    STATUS=$(printf %s "$BODY" | python3 -c "import sys, json; r=json.load(sys.stdin).get(\"check_runs\",[]); print((r[0].get(\"status\") or \"\") if r else \"none\")")
-    CONCLUSION=$(printf %s "$BODY" | python3 -c "import sys, json; r=json.load(sys.stdin).get(\"check_runs\",[]); print((r[0].get(\"conclusion\") or \"\") if r else \"\")")
-    CHECK_URL=$(printf %s "$BODY" | python3 -c "import sys, json; r=json.load(sys.stdin).get(\"check_runs\",[]); print((r[0].get(\"html_url\") or \"\") if r else \"\")")
-    if [ "$STATUS" = "none" ]; then
-      echo "no pre-run-check found for this commit; skipping gate."
-      break
-    fi
-    if [ -n "$CONCLUSION" ]; then
-      echo "pre-run-check conclusion: $CONCLUSION"
-      if [ "$CONCLUSION" = "failure" ] || [ "$CONCLUSION" = "cancelled" ] || [ "$CONCLUSION" = "timed_out" ]; then
-        echo "pre-run-check did not pass; skipping docs build."
-        if [ -n "$CHECK_URL" ]; then
-          echo "pre-run-check failure reason: $CHECK_URL"
-        fi
-        exit 1
-      fi
-      break
-    fi
-    if [ "$ELAPSED" -ge "$MAX_WAIT" ]; then
-      echo "pre-run-check status=$STATUS after ${MAX_WAIT}s; skipping gate."
-      break
-    fi
-    echo "pre-run-check status=$STATUS; waiting ${INTERVAL}s..."
-    sleep "$INTERVAL"
-    ELAPSED=$((ELAPSED + INTERVAL))
-  done
-else
+if [ "$READTHEDOCS_VERSION_TYPE" != "external" ]; then
   echo "Not a PR build (version type=$READTHEDOCS_VERSION_TYPE); skipping pre-run-check gate."
-fi
\ No newline at end of file
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "Checking for changes to docs-affecting files vs origin/main..."
+DOCS_PATHS=(
+  docs/                       # Actual docs content
+  examples/                   # Examples are rendered in docs
+  vllm/                       # API & CLI reference
+  requirements/test/cuda.txt  # CLI reference (see docs/mkdocs/hooks/generate_argparse.py)
+  mkdocs.yaml                 # Affects build process
+  .readthedocs.yaml           # Affects build process
+  requirements/docs.txt       # Affects build process
+  requirements/docs.in        # Affects build process
+)
+if git diff --quiet origin/main -- "${DOCS_PATHS[@]}"; then
+  echo "No docs-affecting files changed vs origin/main; cancelling build."
+  # See https://docs.readthedocs.com/platform/latest/guides/build/skip-build.html for info on exit code
+  exit 183
+fi
+echo "Docs-affecting files changed; continuing pre-run-check."
+echo "Checking pre-commit/pre-run-check status..."
+MAX_WAIT=300
+INTERVAL=60
+ELAPSED=0
+while :; do
+  RAW=$(curl -sS -w "\n%{http_code}" "https://api.github.com/repos/vllm-project/vllm/commits/${READTHEDOCS_GIT_COMMIT_HASH}/check-runs?check_name=pre-run-check&filter=latest")
+  HTTP_CODE=$(printf %s "$RAW" | tail -n1)
+  BODY=$(printf %s "$RAW" | sed '$d')
+  if [ "$HTTP_CODE" != "200" ]; then
+    echo "GitHub API returned HTTP $HTTP_CODE (likely rate-limited); skipping pre-commit/pre-run-check gate."
+    break
+  fi
+  STATUS=$(printf %s "$BODY" | python3 -c "import sys, json; r=json.load(sys.stdin).get(\"check_runs\",[]); print((r[0].get(\"status\") or \"\") if r else \"none\")")
+  CONCLUSION=$(printf %s "$BODY" | python3 -c "import sys, json; r=json.load(sys.stdin).get(\"check_runs\",[]); print((r[0].get(\"conclusion\") or \"\") if r else \"\")")
+  CHECK_URL=$(printf %s "$BODY" | python3 -c "import sys, json; r=json.load(sys.stdin).get(\"check_runs\",[]); print((r[0].get(\"html_url\") or \"\") if r else \"\")")
+  if [ "$STATUS" = "none" ]; then
+    echo "no pre-commit/pre-run-check found for this commit; skipping gate."
+    break
+  fi
+  if [ -n "$CONCLUSION" ]; then
+    echo "pre-commit/pre-run-check conclusion: $CONCLUSION"
+    if [ "$CONCLUSION" = "failure" ] || [ "$CONCLUSION" = "cancelled" ] || [ "$CONCLUSION" = "timed_out" ]; then
+      echo "pre-commit/pre-run-check did not pass; skipping docs build."
+      if [ -n "$CHECK_URL" ]; then
+        echo "pre-commit/pre-run-check failure reason: $CHECK_URL"
+      fi
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    break
+  fi
+  if [ "$ELAPSED" -ge "$MAX_WAIT" ]; then
+    echo "pre-commit/pre-run-check status=$STATUS after ${MAX_WAIT}s; skipping gate."
+    break
+  fi
+  echo "pre-commit/pre-run-check status=$STATUS; waiting ${INTERVAL}s..."
+  sleep "$INTERVAL"
+  ELAPSED=$((ELAPSED + INTERVAL))
+done