diff --git a/pkg/workflow/compiler.go b/pkg/workflow/compiler.go
index 6853cc26d06..b1d2107b480 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/compiler.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/compiler.go
@@ -79,19 +79,23 @@ func (c *Compiler) CompileWorkflow(markdownPath string) error {
 // including expressions, features, permissions, and configurations.
 func (c *Compiler) validateWorkflowData(workflowData *WorkflowData, markdownPath string) error {
 	// Validate expression safety - check that all GitHub Actions expressions are in the allowed list
-	log.Printf("Validating expression safety")
-	if err := validateExpressionSafety(workflowData.MarkdownContent); err != nil {
-		return formatCompilerError(markdownPath, "error", err.Error(), err)
+	if strings.Contains(workflowData.MarkdownContent, "${{") {
+		log.Printf("Validating expression safety")
+		if err := validateExpressionSafety(workflowData.MarkdownContent); err != nil {
+			return formatCompilerError(markdownPath, "error", err.Error(), err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Validate expressions in runtime-import files at compile time
-	log.Printf("Validating runtime-import files")
-	// Go up from .github/workflows/file.md to repo root
-	workflowDir := filepath.Dir(markdownPath) // .github/workflows
-	githubDir := filepath.Dir(workflowDir)    // .github
-	workspaceDir := filepath.Dir(githubDir)   // repo root
-	if err := validateRuntimeImportFiles(workflowData.MarkdownContent, workspaceDir); err != nil {
-		return formatCompilerError(markdownPath, "error", err.Error(), err)
+	if strings.Contains(workflowData.MarkdownContent, "{{#runtime-import") {
+		log.Printf("Validating runtime-import files")
+		// Go up from .github/workflows/file.md to repo root
+		workflowDir := filepath.Dir(markdownPath) // .github/workflows
+		githubDir := filepath.Dir(workflowDir)    // .github
+		workspaceDir := filepath.Dir(githubDir)   // repo root
+		if err := validateRuntimeImportFiles(workflowData.MarkdownContent, workspaceDir); err != nil {
+			return formatCompilerError(markdownPath, "error", err.Error(), err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Validate feature flags
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/compiler_performance_benchmark_test.go b/pkg/workflow/compiler_performance_benchmark_test.go
index 6bf07b5f3a6..b97a9a94d78 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/compiler_performance_benchmark_test.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/compiler_performance_benchmark_test.go
@@ -295,13 +295,22 @@ Test validation performance.
 	compiler.SetStrictMode(true)
 	compiler.SetQuiet(true)
 
+	workflowData, err := compiler.ParseWorkflowFile(testFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	// Warm up: run once before timing to prime one-time caches (schema compilation, etc.)
-	_ = compiler.CompileWorkflow(testFile)
+	if err := compiler.validateWorkflowData(workflowData, testFile); err != nil {
+		b.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	b.ResetTimer()
 	b.ReportAllocs()
 	for b.Loop() {
-		_ = compiler.CompileWorkflow(testFile)
+		if err := compiler.validateWorkflowData(workflowData, testFile); err != nil {
+			b.Fatalf("validateWorkflowData failed: %v", err)
+		}
 	}
 }