diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/generate-ci-type.py b/.github/workflows/scripts/generate-ci-type.py
index b1910ab630a..08f0c0fcc9a 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/scripts/generate-ci-type.py
+++ b/.github/workflows/scripts/generate-ci-type.py
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 Output format: "<type> <source>" where source is "manual" (from
 ZFS-CI-Type commit tag) or "auto" (from file change heuristics).
 
+Prints "docs auto" if every changed file is documentation; the qemu
+matrix is skipped in that case.
+
 Prints "quick manual" if:
 - the *last* commit message contains 'ZFS-CI-Type: quick'
 or "quick auto" if (heuristics):
@@ -28,6 +31,19 @@
     r'.*\.gitignore'
 ]))
 
+"""
+Patterns of files that are documentation only.
+"""
+DOCS_ONLY_REGEX = list(map(re.compile, [
+    r'man/.*',
+    r'.*\.md',
+    r'AUTHORS',
+    r'COPYRIGHT',
+    r'LICENSE',
+    r'NOTICE',
+    r'\.gitignore',
+]))
+
 """
 Patterns of files that are considered to trigger full CI.
 """
@@ -116,6 +132,12 @@ def output_type(type, source, reason):
                         f'changed file "{f}" matches pattern "{r.pattern}"'
                         )
 
+    if changed_files and all(
+            any(r.match(f) for r in DOCS_ONLY_REGEX)
+            for f in changed_files):
+        output_type('docs', 'auto',
+                    'all changed files are documentation')
+
     # catch-all
     output_type('quick', 'auto',
                 'no changed file matches full CI patterns')
diff --git a/.github/workflows/zfs-qemu.yml b/.github/workflows/zfs-qemu.yml
index 4b4fd27543f..f07988f701d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/zfs-qemu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/zfs-qemu.yml
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
           case "$ci_type" in
+          docs)
+            os_selection='[]'
+            ;;
           quick)
             os_selection='["almalinux8", "almalinux9", "almalinux10", "debian12", "fedora42", "freebsd15-1s", "ubuntu24"]'
             ;;
@@ -91,6 +94,7 @@ jobs:
   qemu-vm:
     name: qemu-x86
     needs: [ test-config ]
+    if: needs.test-config.outputs.ci_type != 'docs'
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix: