diff --git a/.github/workflows/backend-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/backend-tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6bcd48bb28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/backend-tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+name: backend-tests
+
+on:
+  push:
+    paths:
+      - "backend/**"
+      - ".github/workflows/backend-tests.yml"
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ci-${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && github.run_id || github.ref }}-backend-tests
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  Tests:
+    runs-on: codebuild-loculus-ci-${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_attempt }}
+    timeout-minutes: 15
+    env:
+      CROSSREF_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.CROSSREF_USERNAME }}
+      CROSSREF_TEST_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.CROSSREF_TEST_PASSWORD }}
+      CROSSREF_TEST_ENDPOINT: ${{ secrets.CROSSREF_TEST_ENDPOINT }}
+      CROSSREF_DOI_PREFIX: ${{ secrets.CROSSREF_DOI_PREFIX }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Set up JDK
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
+        with:
+          java-version: "21"
+          distribution: "adopt"
+      - name: Setup Gradle
+        uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@v3
+      - name: Execute Tests
+        uses: nick-fields/retry@v3
+        with:
+          command: cd ./backend && ./gradlew test
+          max_attempts: 3
+          timeout_minutes: 10
+          retry_wait_seconds: 1
+      - name: Check Format And Lint
+        run: ./gradlew ktlintCheck
+        working-directory: ./backend
diff --git a/.github/workflows/backend.yml b/.github/workflows/backend.yml
index dc1c7ad700..0df546347c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/backend.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/backend.yml
@@ -4,45 +4,17 @@ on:
   push:
   workflow_dispatch:
 
-env:
-  DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME: ghcr.io/loculus-project/backend
-  CROSSREF_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.CROSSREF_USERNAME }}
-  CROSSREF_TEST_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.CROSSREF_TEST_PASSWORD }}
-  CROSSREF_TEST_ENDPOINT: ${{ secrets.CROSSREF_TEST_ENDPOINT }}
-  CROSSREF_DOI_PREFIX: ${{ secrets.CROSSREF_DOI_PREFIX }}
-
 concurrency:
   group: ci-${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && github.run_id || github.ref }}-backend
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
-  Tests:
-    runs-on: codebuild-loculus-ci-${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_attempt }}
-    timeout-minutes: 15
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: Set up JDK
-        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
-        with:
-          java-version: "21"
-          distribution: "adopt"
-      - name: Setup Gradle
-        uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@v3
-      - name: Execute Tests
-        uses: nick-fields/retry@v3
-        with:
-          command: cd ./backend && ./gradlew test
-          max_attempts: 3
-          timeout_minutes: 10
-          retry_wait_seconds: 1
-      - name: Check Format And Lint
-        run: ./gradlew ktlintCheck
-        working-directory: ./backend
-
   dockerImage:
     name: Build Backend Docker Image # Don't change: Referenced by .github/workflows/update-argocd-metadata.yml
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 15
+    env:
+      DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME: ghcr.io/loculus-project/backend
     permissions:
       packages: write
       contents: read