diff --git a/.github/workflows/api-proposal-version-check.yml b/.github/workflows/api-proposal-version-check.yml
index 4e4dc4e81499..bc134b3d885a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/api-proposal-version-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/api-proposal-version-check.yml
@@ -22,15 +22,19 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   check-version-changes:
     name: Check API Proposal Version Changes
-    # Run on PR events, or on issue_comment if it's on a PR and contains the override command
+    # Run on PR events, or on issue_comment if it's on a PR and contains the override command.
+    # Skip on cortexide fork: this check governs upstream's proposed-API
+    # versioning policy. We don't publish proposed APIs from this fork.
     if: |
-      github.event_name == 'pull_request' ||
-      (github.event_name == 'issue_comment' &&
-       github.event.issue.pull_request &&
-       contains(github.event.comment.body, '/api-proposal-change-required') &&
-       (github.event.comment.author_association == 'OWNER' ||
-        github.event.comment.author_association == 'MEMBER' ||
-        github.event.comment.author_association == 'COLLABORATOR'))
+      github.repository_owner != 'OpenCortexIDE' && (
+        github.event_name == 'pull_request' ||
+        (github.event_name == 'issue_comment' &&
+         github.event.issue.pull_request &&
+         contains(github.event.comment.body, '/api-proposal-change-required') &&
+         (github.event.comment.author_association == 'OWNER' ||
+          github.event.comment.author_association == 'MEMBER' ||
+          github.event.comment.author_association == 'COLLABORATOR'))
+      )
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Get PR info
diff --git a/.github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml b/.github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml
index c3a390e905f5..ee4533daa968 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ on:
 jobs:
   # The job MUST be called `copilot-setup-steps` or it will not be picked up by Copilot.
   copilot-setup-steps:
+    # Skip on cortexide fork: uses upstream's `vscode-large-runners`
+    # self-hosted runner, which is not available to us.
+    if: github.repository_owner != 'OpenCortexIDE'
     runs-on: vscode-large-runners
 
     # Set the permissions to the lowest permissions possible needed for your steps.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/monaco-editor.yml b/.github/workflows/monaco-editor.yml
index 04de681e4bc8..8670d9bd0ae4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/monaco-editor.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/monaco-editor.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ permissions: {}
 jobs:
   main:
     name: Monaco Editor checks
+    # Skip on cortexide fork: Monaco Editor is published from microsoft/vscode;
+    # this check is part of that publishing flow and not relevant downstream.
+    if: github.repository_owner != 'OpenCortexIDE'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 40
     env:
@@ -21,7 +24,9 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
-          lfs: true
+          # LFS objects for the copilot simulation cache are not on our LFS
+          # server. Monaco Editor checks don't need those files anyway.
+          lfs: false
           persist-credentials: false
 
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
diff --git a/.github/workflows/no-engineering-system-changes.yml b/.github/workflows/no-engineering-system-changes.yml
index 77c04be07181..5eeb7b603e15 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/no-engineering-system-changes.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/no-engineering-system-changes.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ permissions: {}
 jobs:
   main:
     name: Prevent engineering system changes in PRs
+    # Skip on cortexide fork: this check queries microsoft/vscode collaborator
+    # permissions (403 from our token) and enforces upstream's bot policy.
+    # We govern engineering-system changes via PR review on this repo.
+    if: github.repository_owner != 'OpenCortexIDE'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Get file changes
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-darwin-test.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-darwin-test.yml
index 8a2df70cf49e..17067aa38d7d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-darwin-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-darwin-test.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout microsoft/vscode
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
-          lfs: true
+          # LFS disabled: platform test jobs do not exercise the copilot
+          # simulation cache (the only LFS-tracked files in the repo) and our
+          # LFS server returns 404 for those objects.
+          lfs: false
 
       - name: Setup Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v6
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-linux-cli-test.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-linux-cli-test.yml
index 78d4c4acdc3a..aa5d3329bb2d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-linux-cli-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-linux-cli-test.yml
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout microsoft/vscode
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
-          lfs: true
+          # LFS disabled: the CLI Rust tests do not exercise the copilot
+          # simulation cache (the only LFS-tracked files in the repo) and our
+          # LFS server returns 404 for those objects.
+          lfs: false
 
       - name: Install Rust
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-linux-test.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-linux-test.yml
index 6395486a8450..4d25b19d9c10 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-linux-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-linux-test.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout microsoft/vscode
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
-          lfs: true
+          # LFS disabled: platform test jobs do not exercise the copilot
+          # simulation cache (the only LFS-tracked files in the repo) and our
+          # LFS server returns 404 for those objects.
+          lfs: false
 
       - name: Setup Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v6
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-win32-test.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-win32-test.yml
index 7a46a9a48bda..52faea81b6a5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-win32-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-win32-test.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout microsoft/vscode
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
-          lfs: true
+          # LFS disabled: platform test jobs do not exercise the copilot
+          # simulation cache (the only LFS-tracked files in the repo) and our
+          # LFS server returns 404 for those objects.
+          lfs: false
 
       - name: Setup Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v6
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
index 70c65ddc4266..00dc989a51e2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout microsoft/vscode
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
-          lfs: true
+          # LFS disabled: the copilot simulation-cache sqlite pointers in this
+          # repo reference LFS objects that don't exist on our LFS server (404).
+          # Compile/hygiene doesn't touch those files. See PR description.
+          lfs: false
 
       - name: Setup Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v6
@@ -159,6 +162,9 @@ jobs:
 
   copilot-check-test-cache:
     name: Copilot - Check Test Cache
+    # Skip on cortexide fork: this job opens the LFS-stored simulation sqlite
+    # databases, which are not mirrored to our LFS server. Run only on upstream.
+    if: github.repository_owner != 'OpenCortexIDE'
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     permissions:
       contents: read
@@ -167,7 +173,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
-          lfs: true
+          # LFS disabled: cache-cli check + pr-check-cache-files.ts operate on
+          # file listings / pointer metadata, not blob content. LFS objects for
+          # the copilot simulation cache are not present on our LFS server.
+          lfs: false
 
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
         with:
@@ -212,7 +221,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
-          lfs: true
+          # LFS disabled: telemetry extractor scans TS sources only.
+          lfs: false
 
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
         with:
@@ -224,6 +234,9 @@ jobs:
 
   copilot-linux-tests:
     name: Copilot - Test (Linux)
+    # Skip on cortexide fork: simulate-ci depends on LFS-stored simulation cache
+    # databases that are not mirrored to our LFS server. Run only on upstream.
+    if: github.repository_owner != 'OpenCortexIDE'
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     permissions:
       contents: read
@@ -329,6 +342,9 @@ jobs:
 
   copilot-windows-tests:
     name: Copilot - Test (Windows)
+    # Skip on cortexide fork: simulate-ci depends on LFS-stored simulation cache
+    # databases that are not mirrored to our LFS server. Run only on upstream.
+    if: github.repository_owner != 'OpenCortexIDE'
     runs-on: windows-2022
     permissions:
       contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/screenshot-test.yml b/.github/workflows/screenshot-test.yml
index 937f95e70058..a50ff2bd55b4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/screenshot-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/screenshot-test.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   screenshots:
     name: Checking Component Screenshots
+    # Skip on cortexide fork: this workflow uploads to
+    # hediet-screenshots.azurewebsites.net (upstream's Azure endpoint, returns
+    # 403 for our OIDC token) and posts a comment via the upstream service.
+    # We don't currently run a screenshot diff service.
+    if: github.repository_owner != 'OpenCortexIDE'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     continue-on-error: true # TODO(hediet): Remove once screenshot pipeline is stable
     steps: