diff --git a/.github/workflows/check.yml b/.github/workflows/check.yml
index ded8bad536c4..9192264266a1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ on:
       mergedSha:
         required: true
         type: string
+      ownersCanFail:
+        required: true
+        type: boolean
       targetSha:
         required: true
         type: string
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@ jobs:
   # handling untrusted PR input.
   owners:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-arm
+    continue-on-error: ${{ inputs.ownersCanFail }}
     timeout-minutes: 5
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
index 936a9173e7c4..81f0f1d0f507 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ jobs:
       headBranch: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.headBranch }}
       mergedSha: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.mergedSha }}
       targetSha: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.targetSha }}
+      ownersCanFail: ${{ !contains(fromJSON(needs.prepare.outputs.touched), 'owners') }}
 
   lint:
     name: Lint
diff --git a/ci/github-script/prepare.js b/ci/github-script/prepare.js
index fb000cb6820a..0fcec880f376 100644
--- a/ci/github-script/prepare.js
+++ b/ci/github-script/prepare.js
@@ -76,8 +76,10 @@ module.exports = async ({ github, context, core }) => {
       })
     ).map((file) => file.filename)
 
-    if (files.includes('ci/pinned.json')) core.setOutput('touched', ['pinned'])
-    else core.setOutput('touched', [])
+    const touched = []
+    if (files.includes('ci/pinned.json')) touched.push('pinned')
+    if (files.includes('ci/OWNERS')) touched.push('owners')
+    core.setOutput('touched', touched)
 
     return
   }