diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 81e5ad4d8..c1e4c5509 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ concurrency:
 # the repository variable CI_SCOPE is `full`, pull_request, merge_group and
 # push runs use one targeted e2e row per package manager (the rest are in
 # e2e-extended), one row each of the yarn and cargo VEX matrices, and skip
-# the Windows/macOS legs (except e2e-build-windows, which still compiles every
-# test target on Windows in the merge queue), test, test-release, old cargo toolchains and the
+# the Windows/macOS legs (except windows-compile-check, which still
+# type-checks every CLI test target on Windows in the merge queue), test, test-release, old cargo toolchains and the
 # sbt Docker coverage slice. Everything runs in the nightly schedule and on
 # workflow_dispatch. Set CI_SCOPE=full to restore the old gate without a
 # commit. ci-ok treats skipped jobs as passing. hosted-e2e is not scoped:
@@ -1038,11 +1038,46 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
           retention-days: 3
 
+  # Lean merge queue: type-check the CLI (lib and bin, as shipped) and every
+  # CLI test target on Windows. Lean pull_request runs skip Windows, and a
+  # cfg(unix) slip only shows up here (#1324). A check, not a build: nothing
+  # in lean scope runs the Windows binaries, and linking ~60 test binaries
+  # made this the queue's critical path (#1385). No `needs: clippy`, so it
+  # starts at once; merge-queue fail-fast cancels it if clippy fails. Full
+  # scope, nightly and dispatch build and run everything in
+  # e2e-build-windows. The nightly run also runs this job, only to save its
+  # check-mode cache on main: queue refs can't share a saved cache, and a
+  # build-mode cache doesn't satisfy `cargo check`.
+  windows-compile-check:
+    if: (github.event_name == 'merge_group' && vars.CI_SCOPE != 'full') || github.event_name == 'schedule'
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
+    env: *e2e-build-env
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - name: Install Rust
+        shell: bash
+        run: scripts/rustup-retry.sh toolchain install
+
+      - name: Cache cargo
+        uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@c19371144df3bb44fab255c43d04cbc2ab54d1c4 # v2.9.1
+        with:
+          shared-key: check-windows-latest
+          save-if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
+
+      - name: Type-check the CLI and every CLI test target
+        shell: bash
+        run: cargo check --locked -p socket-patch-cli --all-features --lib --bins --tests
+
   e2e-build-windows:
-    # Lean scope still compiles every test target on Windows in the merge
-    # queue (one job): lean pull_request runs skip Windows, and a cfg(unix)
-    # slip only shows up here (#1324). Its consumers stay full-scope only.
-    if: ((github.event.pull_request.draft != true) && (vars.CI_SCOPE == 'full' || github.event_name == 'merge_group' || github.event_name == 'schedule' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch')) && needs.clippy.outputs.pr_unchanged != 'true'
+    # Builds the Windows test binaries for e2e-windows and
+    # cargo-vex-matrix-windows. The lean merge queue runs
+    # windows-compile-check instead.
+    if: ((github.event.pull_request.draft != true) && (vars.CI_SCOPE == 'full' || github.event_name == 'schedule' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch')) && needs.clippy.outputs.pr_unchanged != 'true'
     needs: clippy
     outputs:
       reuse: ${{ needs.clippy.outputs.reuse }}
@@ -2697,7 +2732,7 @@ jobs:
   ci-ok:
     name: ci-ok                 # registered as a required check; do not rename
     if: always()
-    needs: [clippy, node-addon, lint-ecosystems, release-readiness, test, test-release, coverage, docker-base, coverage-docker, coverage-merge, dispatch-tests, e2e-build, e2e-build-windows, e2e-build-macos, e2e, e2e-windows, e2e-extended, e2e-full, e2e-docker, yarn-classic-matrix, yarn-berry-e2e, yarn-berry-full, cargo-vex-matrix, cargo-vex-matrix-windows, cargo-vex-matrix-full, cargo-old-toolchains, hosted-e2e, e2e-macos, yarn-berry-e2e-macos, cargo-vex-matrix-macos]
+    needs: [clippy, node-addon, lint-ecosystems, release-readiness, test, test-release, coverage, docker-base, coverage-docker, coverage-merge, dispatch-tests, e2e-build, windows-compile-check, e2e-build-windows, e2e-build-macos, e2e, e2e-windows, e2e-extended, e2e-full, e2e-docker, yarn-classic-matrix, yarn-berry-e2e, yarn-berry-full, cargo-vex-matrix, cargo-vex-matrix-windows, cargo-vex-matrix-full, cargo-old-toolchains, hosted-e2e, e2e-macos, yarn-berry-e2e-macos, cargo-vex-matrix-macos]
     runs-on: ${{ vars.DISABLE_DEPOT_RUNNERS == 'true' && 'ubuntu-latest' || 'depot-ubuntu-24.04-4' }}
     timeout-minutes: 5
     steps:
diff --git a/scripts/tests/test_ci_scheduling.py b/scripts/tests/test_ci_scheduling.py
index 74a28c030..3a9ea6137 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/test_ci_scheduling.py
+++ b/scripts/tests/test_ci_scheduling.py
@@ -41,9 +41,14 @@ def test_required_verdict_includes_every_job(self):
 
     def test_expensive_jobs_cannot_start_after_a_failed_preflight(self):
         cheap = {"clippy", "lint-ecosystems", "release-readiness", "dispatch-tests", "ci-ok"}
+        # windows-compile-check is the lean queue's only Windows job and sits
+        # on its critical path, so it starts in parallel with clippy;
+        # merge-queue fail-fast cancels it when clippy fails.
+        parallel = {"windows-compile-check"}
         for job in set(JOBS) - cheap:
             with self.subTest(job=job):
-                self.assertIn("clippy", ancestors(job))
+                if job not in parallel:
+                    self.assertIn("clippy", ancestors(job))
                 # Job-level always() would defeat failure/skip propagation.
                 self.assertFalse(any(line.startswith("    if:") and "always()" in line
                                      for line in JOBS[job]))
@@ -81,6 +86,29 @@ def test_os_builds_use_the_same_artifact_contract(self):
             self.assertTrue(condition.endswith(" && (vars.CI_SCOPE == 'full' || github.event_name == 'schedule'"
                                                " || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch')"), condition)
 
+    def test_lean_queue_type_checks_windows_and_full_scope_builds_it(self):
+        # The lean merge queue type-checks the CLI and every CLI test target
+        # on Windows (#1324) without linking (#1385); full scope, nightly and
+        # dispatch build the binaries their consumers download. Lean PR and
+        # push runs do neither. The nightly also runs the check, only so main
+        # saves the check-mode cache the queue restores.
+        check = JOBS["windows-compile-check"]
+        self.assertIn("    if: (github.event_name == 'merge_group' && vars.CI_SCOPE != 'full')"
+                      " || github.event_name == 'schedule'", check)
+        self.assertIn("    runs-on: windows-latest", check)
+        self.assertEqual(dependencies("windows-compile-check"), set())
+        body = "\n".join(check)
+        self.assertIn("cargo check --locked -p socket-patch-cli --all-features --lib --bins --tests", body)
+        self.assertIn("    env: *e2e-build-env", check)
+        self.assertIn("shared-key: check-windows-latest", body)
+        self.assertIn("save-if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}", body)
+        self.assertNotIn("upload-artifact", body)
+        self.assertNotIn("--no-run", body)
+        build = next(line for line in JOBS["e2e-build-windows"] if line.startswith("    if:"))
+        self.assertEqual(build, "    if: ((github.event.pull_request.draft != true) && (vars.CI_SCOPE == 'full'"
+                                " || github.event_name == 'schedule' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'))"
+                                " && needs.clippy.outputs.pr_unchanged != 'true'")
+
     def test_reused_push_keeps_cache_writers_and_unqueued_jobs(self):
         # A push whose SHA passed the merge queue still compiles (main is the
         # only cache writer) and still runs what the queue never ran.