diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-require-checks.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-require-checks.yml
index 57a065f70ad..4cba0c3765b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-require-checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-require-checks.yml
@@ -1064,11 +1064,11 @@ jobs:
         with:
           filter: blob:none
       # THE DIFF BASE, RESOLVED ONCE. A pull request diffs against its base
-      # branch, and a merge group against the queue's base commit, unless its
-      # diff touches a plugin or marketplace manifest, as a release does. A schedule
-      # or dispatch run gets no base: the whole tree, the net for what a diff
-      # cannot show. scripts/resolve-diff-base.sh holds the rules and logs why
-      # it chose.
+      # branch, and a merge group against the queue's base commit, a release
+      # group included, so a manifest change selects only the suites that
+      # declare they read it (test-scope). A schedule or dispatch run gets no
+      # base: the whole tree, the net for what a diff cannot show.
+      # scripts/resolve-diff-base.sh holds the rules and logs why it chose.
       - name: Resolve the diff base
         id: base
         env:
diff --git a/lib/view-settings.test.sh b/lib/view-settings.test.sh
index a8a973da2c8..4e67b8d8e1b 100755
--- a/lib/view-settings.test.sh
+++ b/lib/view-settings.test.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # Owns view-settings.test.mjs; run-plugin-tests.sh discovers only .test.sh files.
+# test-scope: plugins/*/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
 set -euo pipefail
 exec node --test "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/view-settings.test.mjs"
diff --git a/scripts/affected-tests-live.sh b/scripts/affected-tests-live.sh
index c966cfaa090..b38e4e25638 100755
--- a/scripts/affected-tests-live.sh
+++ b/scripts/affected-tests-live.sh
@@ -255,6 +255,9 @@ read_pairs=(
   "plugins/biome-format/hooks/biome-format-end-of-turn.test.sh|plugins/biome-format/hooks/exec-bash.mjs"
   "plugins/code-metrics/skills/audit/scripts/audit-complexity.test.sh|plugins/code-metrics/scripts/yaml_subset.py"
   "plugins/instruction-placement/git-hooks/index-check.test.sh|plugins/instruction-placement/.claude-plugin/plugin.json"
+  # Suites that read every plugin's manifest through a path built from parts.
+  "lib/view-settings.test.sh|plugins/architecture/.claude-plugin/plugin.json"
+  "scripts/check-data-root.test.sh|plugins/architecture/.claude-plugin/plugin.json"
 )
 for fixture in events-v1 invalid-device-scope-on-prototype invalid-reaction-agree \
   invalid-recommendation-on-choice state-full state-v7-live wire-heartbeat wire-presence; do
diff --git a/scripts/check-data-root.test.sh b/scripts/check-data-root.test.sh
index 7a587aed79b..3f312a9e01b 100755
--- a/scripts/check-data-root.test.sh
+++ b/scripts/check-data-root.test.sh
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 # Each case runs the real script against a fixture tree. This repository's own
 # tree passes all four checks, so a script that ignored the variable would exit
 # 0 on the failing fixture.
+# test-scope: plugins/*/.claude-plugin/plugin.json plugins/*/README.md
 # shellcheck disable=SC2016
 set -uo pipefail