diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 3f22978e..559951fb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -20,13 +20,14 @@ jobs:
     permissions:
       contents: read
     outputs:
-      code_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.code_count }}
-      daemon_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.daemon_count }}
-      web_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.web_count }}
-      docs_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.docs_count }}
-      installer_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.installer_count }}
-      installer_gui_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_count }}
-      rootshell_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.rootshell_count }}
+      code_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.code_count != '0' }}
+      daemon_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.daemon_count != '0' }}
+      daemon_needed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.daemon_count != '0' || steps.files_changed.outputs.installer_build != '0' }}
+      web_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.web_count != '0' }}
+      docs_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.docs_count != '0' }}
+      installer_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.installer_count != '0' }}
+      installer_gui_changed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_count != '0' }}
+      rootshell_needed: ${{ steps.files_changed.outputs.rootshell_count != '0' || steps.files_changed.outputs.installer_build != '0' }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ jobs:
             echo daemon_count=forced >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             echo web_count=forced >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             echo docs_count=forced >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo installer_build=forced >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             echo installer_count=forced >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             echo installer_gui_count=forced >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             echo rootshell_count=forced >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
@@ -56,15 +58,25 @@ jobs:
             echo "daemon_count=$(git diff --name-only $lcommit...HEAD | grep -e ^daemon -e ^lib -e ^telcom-parser | wc -l)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             echo "web_count=$(git diff --name-only $lcommit...HEAD | grep -e ^daemon/web | wc -l)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             echo "docs_count=$(git diff --name-only $lcommit...HEAD | grep -e ^book.toml -e ^doc | wc -l)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-            echo "installer_count=$(git diff --name-only $lcommit...HEAD | grep -e ^installer/ | wc -l)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-            echo "installer_gui_count=$(git diff --name-only $lcommit...HEAD | grep -e ^installer-gui | wc -l)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             echo "rootshell_count=$(git diff --name-only $lcommit...HEAD | grep -e ^rootshell | wc -l)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+            installer_count=$(git diff --name-only $lcommit...HEAD | grep -e ^installer/ | wc -l)
+            installer_gui_count=$(git diff --name-only $lcommit...HEAD | grep -e ^installer-gui | wc -l)
+
+            if [ $installer_count != "0" ] || [ $installer_gui_count != "0" ]; then
+              echo "installer_build=1" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            else
+              echo "installer_build=0" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            fi
+
+            echo "installer_count=$installer_count" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "installer_gui_count=$installer_gui_count" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
 
   mdbook_test:
     name: Test mdBook Documentation builds
     needs: files_changed
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.docs_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.docs_changed == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       contents: read
@@ -109,7 +121,7 @@ jobs:
 
   check_and_test:
     needs: files_changed
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.code_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.code_changed == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       contents: read
@@ -143,7 +155,7 @@ jobs:
     #    installer-gui isn't one of the default workspace packages
     # 2) avoid slowing down development on changes unrelated to the GUI installer
     needs: files_changed
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_changed == 'true'
     # we run this on macos simply because no additional OS packages need to be
     # installed
     runs-on: macos-latest
@@ -167,7 +179,7 @@ jobs:
 
   test_daemon_frontend:
     needs: files_changed
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.web_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.web_changed == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       contents: read
@@ -185,7 +197,7 @@ jobs:
 
   test_installer_frontend:
     needs: files_changed
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_changed == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       contents: read
@@ -202,7 +214,7 @@ jobs:
 
   windows_installer_check_and_test:
     needs: files_changed
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_changed == 'true'
     runs-on: windows-latest
     permissions:
       contents: read
@@ -223,7 +235,7 @@ jobs:
           NO_FIRMWARE_BIN=true cargo test --verbose --no-default-features
 
   build_rayhunter_check:
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.daemon_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.daemon_changed == 'true'
     needs:
       - check_and_test
       - files_changed
@@ -269,7 +281,7 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   build_rootshell:
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.rootshell_changed != '0' || needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.rootshell_needed == 'true'
     needs:
       - check_and_test
       - files_changed
@@ -293,10 +305,7 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   build_rayhunter:
-    # build_rust_installer needs this step. so when installer_changed, we need
-    # to build this step too. if we skip this step because only the installer
-    # changed, the build_rust_installer step will be skipped too.
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.daemon_changed != '0' || needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.daemon_needed == 'true'
     needs:
       - check_and_test
       - files_changed
@@ -336,7 +345,7 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   build_rust_installer:
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_changed == 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: read
       packages: write
@@ -384,7 +393,7 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   build_installer_gui_linux:
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_changed == 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: read
       packages: write
@@ -440,7 +449,7 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   build_installer_gui_macos:
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_changed == 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: read
       packages: write
@@ -483,7 +492,7 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   build_installer_gui_windows:
-    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_changed != '0'
+    if: needs.files_changed.outputs.installer_gui_changed == 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: read
       packages: write
diff --git a/installer-gui/README.md b/installer-gui/README.md
index 033a6f53..094e104f 100644
--- a/installer-gui/README.md
+++ b/installer-gui/README.md
@@ -32,3 +32,5 @@ After preparing dependencies, the GUI installer can be built by:
 This will build the GUI installer in development mode. While this command is running, any changes to either the frontend or backend code will cause the installer to be reloaded or rebuilt.
 
 You can also run `npm run tauri build` to create the final GUI installer artifacts for your OS as is done in CI.
+
+I changed something.