diff --git a/.github/workflows/check.yml b/.github/workflows/check.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec8bd18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/check.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+name: Check
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  check:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@df4cb1c069e1874edd31b4311f1884172cec0e10 # v6.0.3
+
+      - run: corepack enable
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
+        with:
+          node-version-file: ".nvmrc"
+          cache: "pnpm"
+
+      - run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
+
+      - run: pnpm check
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index 0518d8f..7f6ee6f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
         with:
-          node-version: 24
+          node-version-file: ".nvmrc"
           cache: "pnpm"
 
       - run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
diff --git a/src/generators/generated-output-eq.test.ts b/src/generators/generated-output-eq.test.ts
index baea74e..8af2309 100644
--- a/src/generators/generated-output-eq.test.ts
+++ b/src/generators/generated-output-eq.test.ts
@@ -39,11 +39,12 @@ async function normalizeContent(filePath: string, content: string) {
     .trim();
 }
 
-describe("Generated output parity", () => {
-  it("matches between base and next output folders", async () => {
-    expect(fs.existsSync(BASE_DIR), `${BASE_DIR} does not exist`).toBe(true);
-    expect(fs.existsSync(NEXT_DIR), `${NEXT_DIR} does not exist`).toBe(true);
+const hasGeneratedFolders = fs.existsSync(BASE_DIR) && fs.existsSync(NEXT_DIR);
 
+// Opt-in via `pnpm gen:verify` (or `pnpm gen:base && pnpm gen:next` first).
+// Skipped in the default suite when the gitignored output folders are absent.
+describe.skipIf(!hasGeneratedFolders)("Generated output parity", () => {
+  it("matches between base and next output folders", async () => {
     const baseFiles = getAllFiles(BASE_DIR);
     const nextFiles = getAllFiles(NEXT_DIR);