diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-wasm.yml b/.github/workflows/build-wasm.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aa7ae887d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-wasm.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+name: CI (wasm)
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch: # allows manual triggering
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - master
+    paths: [
+      '.github/workflows/build-wasm.yml',
+      '**/CMakeLists.txt',
+      '**/.cmake',
+      '**/*.h',
+      '**/*.hpp',
+      '**/*.c',
+      '**/*.cpp',
+      '**/*.wgsl',
+      '**/*.tmpl',
+      'ggml/src/ggml-webgpu/wgsl-shaders/embed_wgsl.py'
+    ]
+
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]
+    paths: [
+      '.github/workflows/build-wasm.yml',
+      '**/CMakeLists.txt',
+      '**/.cmake',
+      '**/*.h',
+      '**/*.hpp',
+      '**/*.c',
+      '**/*.cpp',
+      '**/*.wgsl',
+      '**/*.tmpl',
+      'ggml/src/ggml-webgpu/wgsl-shaders/embed_wgsl.py'
+    ]
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref && github.ref || github.run_id }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+env:
+  GGML_NLOOP: 3
+  GGML_N_THREADS: 1
+  LLAMA_ARG_LOG_COLORS: 1
+  LLAMA_ARG_LOG_PREFIX: 1
+  LLAMA_ARG_LOG_TIMESTAMPS: 1
+
+jobs:
+  ubuntu-webgpu:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-arm
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Clone
+        id: checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+
+      - name: ccache
+        uses: ggml-org/ccache-action@v1.2.21
+        with:
+          key: webgpu-ubuntu-24.04-arm-wasm
+          evict-old-files: 1d
+          save: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/master' }}
+
+      - name: Install Emscripten
+        run: |
+          git clone https://github.com/emscripten-core/emsdk.git
+          cd emsdk
+          ./emsdk install latest
+          ./emsdk activate latest
+
+      - name: Fetch emdawnwebgpu
+        run: |
+          DAWN_TAG="v20260317.182325"
+          EMDAWN_PKG="emdawnwebgpu_pkg-${DAWN_TAG}.zip"
+          echo "Downloading ${EMDAWN_PKG}"
+          curl -L -o emdawn.zip \
+            "https://github.com/google/dawn/releases/download/${DAWN_TAG}/${EMDAWN_PKG}"
+          unzip emdawn.zip
+
+      - name: Build WASM WebGPU
+        run: |
+          source emsdk/emsdk_env.sh
+          emcmake cmake -B build-wasm \
+            -G "Ninja" \
+            -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+            -DGGML_WEBGPU=ON \
+            -DGGML_OPENMP=OFF \
+            -DLLAMA_OPENSSL=OFF \
+            -DEMDAWNWEBGPU_DIR=emdawnwebgpu_pkg
+
+          time cmake --build build-wasm --config Release --target test-backend-ops -j $(nproc)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-webgpu.yml b/.github/workflows/build-webgpu.yml
index 0f5ade7af..ed73c185a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-webgpu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-webgpu.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ on:
       '**/*.hpp',
       '**/*.c',
       '**/*.cpp',
-      '**/*.wgsl'
+      '**/*.wgsl',
+      '**/*.tmpl',
+      'ggml/src/ggml-webgpu/wgsl-shaders/embed_wgsl.py'
     ]
 
   pull_request:
@@ -151,46 +153,3 @@ jobs:
           # This is using llvmpipe and runs slower than other backends
           # test-backend-ops is too slow on llvmpipe, skip it
           ctest -L main -E test-backend-ops --verbose --timeout 900
-
-  ubuntu-wasm:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-arm
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Clone
-        id: checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v6
-
-      - name: ccache
-        uses: ggml-org/ccache-action@v1.2.21
-        with:
-          key: webgpu-ubuntu-24.04-arm-wasm
-          evict-old-files: 1d
-          save: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/master' }}
-
-      - name: Install Emscripten
-        run: |
-          git clone https://github.com/emscripten-core/emsdk.git
-          cd emsdk
-          ./emsdk install latest
-          ./emsdk activate latest
-
-      - name: Fetch emdawnwebgpu
-        run: |
-          DAWN_TAG="v20260317.182325"
-          EMDAWN_PKG="emdawnwebgpu_pkg-${DAWN_TAG}.zip"
-          echo "Downloading ${EMDAWN_PKG}"
-          curl -L -o emdawn.zip \
-            "https://github.com/google/dawn/releases/download/${DAWN_TAG}/${EMDAWN_PKG}"
-          unzip emdawn.zip
-
-      - name: Build WASM WebGPU
-        run: |
-          source emsdk/emsdk_env.sh
-          emcmake cmake -B build-wasm \
-            -G "Ninja" \
-            -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
-            -DGGML_WEBGPU=ON \
-            -DLLAMA_OPENSSL=OFF \
-            -DEMDAWNWEBGPU_DIR=emdawnwebgpu_pkg
-
-          time cmake --build build-wasm --config Release --target test-backend-ops -j $(nproc)