diff --git a/scripts/changed-lanes.mjs b/scripts/changed-lanes.mjs
index 03e1061242e..3c5c7bf15ac 100644
--- a/scripts/changed-lanes.mjs
+++ b/scripts/changed-lanes.mjs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const APP_PATH_RE = /^(?:apps\/|Swabble\/|appcast\.xml$)/u;
 const EXTENSION_PATH_RE = /^extensions\/[^/]+(?:\/|$)/u;
 const CORE_PATH_RE = /^(?:src\/|ui\/|packages\/)/u;
 const TOOLING_PATH_RE =
-  /^(?:scripts\/|test\/vitest\/|\.github\/|git-hooks\/|vitest(?:\..+)?\.config\.ts$|tsconfig.*\.json$|\.oxlint.*|\.oxfmt.*)/u;
+  /^(?:scripts\/|test\/vitest\/|\.github\/|git-hooks\/|vitest(?:\..+)?\.config\.ts$|tsconfig.*\.json$|\.gitignore$|\.oxlint.*|\.oxfmt.*)/u;
 const ROOT_GLOBAL_PATH_RE =
   /^(?:package\.json$|pnpm-lock\.yaml$|pnpm-workspace\.yaml$|tsdown\.config\.ts$|vitest\.config\.ts$)/u;
 const TEST_PATH_RE =
diff --git a/test/scripts/changed-lanes.test.ts b/test/scripts/changed-lanes.test.ts
index df99c575a6d..af2eb9aac8b 100644
--- a/test/scripts/changed-lanes.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/changed-lanes.test.ts
@@ -160,6 +160,20 @@ describe("scripts/changed-lanes", () => {
     expect(plan.commands.map((command) => command.args[0])).toContain("tsgo:all");
   });
 
+  it("routes gitignore changes to tooling instead of all lanes", () => {
+    const result = detectChangedLanes([".gitignore"]);
+    const plan = createChangedCheckPlan(result);
+
+    expect(result.lanes).toMatchObject({
+      tooling: true,
+      all: false,
+    });
+    expect(plan.runFullTests).toBe(false);
+    expect(plan.runChangedTestsBroad).toBe(false);
+    expect(plan.commands.map((command) => command.args[0])).toContain("lint:scripts");
+    expect(plan.commands.map((command) => command.args[0])).not.toContain("tsgo:all");
+  });
+
   it("keeps release metadata commits off the full changed gate", () => {
     const result = detectChangedLanes([
       "CHANGELOG.md",