diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index e752b3b0204..252fdf1f249 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ jobs:
         run: ./ci/validate_asciidoc.sh
 
   validate_links:
+    if: github.event_name != 'merge_group'
     runs-on: github-ubuntu-latest-s
     name: Validate Links
     timeout-minutes: 120
@@ -157,7 +158,10 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/cache/restore@0057852bfaa89a56745cba8c7296529d2fc39830 # v4.3.0
         with:
           path: link-probing.cache
-          key: link-probing-cache
+          key: link-probing-cache-${{ github.sha }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            link-probing-cache-${{ github.sha }}
+            link-probing-cache-
       - name: Validate links
         run: |
           ./ci/validate_links.sh link-probing.cache
@@ -167,7 +171,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/cache/save@0057852bfaa89a56745cba8c7296529d2fc39830 # v4.3.0
         with:
           path: link-probing.cache
-          key: link-probing-cache
+          key: link-probing-cache-${{ github.sha }}
 
   all_required_checks:
     needs:
@@ -176,7 +180,7 @@ jobs:
       - validate_rules
       - validate_ci_tests
     runs-on: github-ubuntu-latest-s
-    name: All Required Checks
+    name: all_required_checks
     steps:
       - name: All required checks passed
         run: echo 'All required checks have passed'