diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-unit-reusable.yml b/.github/workflows/test-unit-reusable.yml
index 9505e24a9d5..7b2666edd16 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-unit-reusable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-unit-reusable.yml
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ jobs:
       # @n8n/vitest-config/node), peak forks ≈ 2 × 50% ≈ the core count, instead
       # of ~10 concurrent suites each spawning a core-sized pool and pegging CPU.
       - name: Test Unit (backend, except cli and nodes-base)
-        run: pnpm turbo test:unit --continue --concurrency=2 --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/**' --filter='!n8n' --filter='!n8n-nodes-base' --summarize
+        run: pnpm turbo test:unit --continue --concurrency=2 --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/*/frontend' --filter='!n8n' --filter='!n8n-nodes-base' --summarize
 
       - name: Test Unit (cli, scoped)
         if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ jobs:
       # run serially to avoid cross-package interference. Unit jobs above
       # don't need this because they isolate per-process.
       - name: Test Integration (backend, except cli)
-        run: pnpm turbo test:integration --continue --concurrency=1 --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/**' --filter='!n8n' --summarize
+        run: pnpm turbo test:integration --continue --concurrency=1 --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/*/frontend' --filter='!n8n' --summarize
 
       - name: Test Integration (cli, scoped)
         if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8e5ef0e7ee9..a4750a6698d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -71,12 +71,12 @@
     "mutate:diff": "node scripts/mutation-health/mutate.mjs --diff",
     "test": "turbo run test",
     "test:ci": "turbo run test --continue --concurrency=1",
-    "test:ci:frontend": "turbo run test --continue --filter='./packages/frontend/**' --filter='./packages/modules/**'",
-    "test:ci:frontend:changed": "turbo run test:changed --continue --filter='./packages/frontend/**' --filter='./packages/modules/**'",
-    "test:ci:backend": "turbo run test --continue --concurrency=1 --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/**'",
-    "test:ci:backend:unit": "turbo run test:unit --continue --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/**'",
-    "test:ci:backend:integration": "turbo run test:integration --continue --concurrency=1 --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/**'",
-    "test:ci:backend:integration:changed": "turbo run test:integration:changed --continue --concurrency=1 --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/**'",
+    "test:ci:frontend": "turbo run test --continue --filter='./packages/frontend/**' --filter='./packages/modules/*/frontend'",
+    "test:ci:frontend:changed": "turbo run test:changed --continue --filter='./packages/frontend/**' --filter='./packages/modules/*/frontend'",
+    "test:ci:backend": "turbo run test --continue --concurrency=1 --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/*/frontend'",
+    "test:ci:backend:unit": "turbo run test:unit --continue --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/*/frontend'",
+    "test:ci:backend:integration": "turbo run test:integration --continue --concurrency=1 --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/*/frontend'",
+    "test:ci:backend:integration:changed": "turbo run test:integration:changed --continue --concurrency=1 --filter='!./packages/frontend/**' --filter='!./packages/modules/*/frontend'",
     "test:affected": "turbo run test --affected --concurrency=1",
     "db:schema:docs": "turbo run build --filter=@n8n/db && pnpm --filter=@n8n/db schema:docs",
     "db:schema:check": "turbo run build --filter=@n8n/db && pnpm --filter=@n8n/db schema:check",
diff --git a/packages/modules/README.md b/packages/modules/README.md
index ef2d2bd7649..6501b71ebeb 100644
--- a/packages/modules/README.md
+++ b/packages/modules/README.md
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ through Vite aliases.
 modules under `packages/cli/src/modules/<name>`. The extra nesting level is what lets both halves of
 a module sit together later.
 
-The directory is empty until the first module lands, and tracked in the meantime because turbo
-rejects a `--filter` whose directory does not exist. The root `test:ci:*` scripts and the two
-backend jobs in `.github/workflows/test-unit-reusable.yml` all name `packages/modules/**`.
+`packages/modules` itself stays tracked even when it holds nothing: turbo rejects a `--filter`
+whose directory does not exist.
+
+CI splits the two halves by path. The frontend jobs select `packages/modules/*/frontend`. The backend
+jobs exclude that same path instead of all of `packages/modules`, so a `<name>/backend` package gets
+backend CI on the day it appears. Both filters live in the root `test:ci:*` scripts and in the two
+backend jobs in `.github/workflows/test-unit-reusable.yml`.