diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 78d80e0..dd75e54 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
     - name: Clone the code
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v5
 
     - name: Setup Go
-      uses: actions/setup-go@v5
+      uses: actions/setup-go@v6
       with:
         go-version-file: go.mod
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..da71477
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+name: E2E Tests
+
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    secrets:
+      OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS:
+        description: '1Password Connect credentials'
+        required: true
+      OP_CONNECT_TOKEN:
+        description: '1Password Connect token'
+        required: true
+      OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN:
+        description: '1Password service account token'
+        required: true
+
+jobs:
+  e2e-test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v5
+
+      - name: Set up Go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v6
+        with:
+          go-version-file: go.mod
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: go mod tidy
+
+      - name: Create kind cluster
+        uses: helm/kind-action@v1
+        with:
+          cluster_name: onepassword-operator-test-e2e
+
+      # install cli to interact with item in 1Password to update/read using `testhelper/op` package
+      - name: Install 1Password CLI
+        uses: 1password/install-cli-action@v2
+        with:
+          version: 2.32.0
+
+      - name: Create '1password-credentials.json' file
+        env:
+          OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS: ${{ secrets.OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS }}
+        run: |
+          echo "$OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS" > 1password-credentials.json
+
+      - name: Run E2E tests
+        run: make test-e2e
+        env:
+          OP_CONNECT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OP_CONNECT_TOKEN }}
+          OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index 764f661..7658346 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Clone the code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        uses: actions/checkout@v5
 
       - name: Setup Go
-        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v6
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ok-to-test.yml b/.github/workflows/ok-to-test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..304afca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ok-to-test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Write comments "/ok-to-test <hash>" on a pull request. This will emit a repository_dispatch event.
+name: Ok To Test
+
+on:
+  issue_comment:
+    types: [created]
+
+jobs:
+  ok-to-test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      pull-requests: write # For adding reactions to the pull request comments
+      contents: write # For executing the repository_dispatch event
+    # Only run for PRs, not issue comments
+    if: ${{ github.event.issue.pull_request }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Slash Command Dispatch
+        uses: volodymyrZotov/slash-command-dispatch@7c1b623a2b0eba93f684c34f689a441f0be84cf1 # TODO: use peter-evans/slash-command-dispatch when fix for team permissions is released https://github.com/peter-evans/slash-command-dispatch/pull/424
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          reaction-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          issue-type: pull-request
+          commands: ok-to-test
+          # The repository permission level required by the user to dispatch commands. Only allows 1Password collaborators to run this.
+          permission: write
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml
index 10c93c8..a464497 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Create Release Pull Request
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
 
       - name: Parse release version
         id: get_version
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 22e87bc..589412f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
       DOCKER_CLI_EXPERIMENTAL: "enabled"
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-e2e-fork.yml b/.github/workflows/test-e2e-fork.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0ceb08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-e2e-fork.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+name: E2E tests [fork]
+
+on:
+  repository_dispatch:
+    types: [ ok-to-test-command ]
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  checks: write
+
+concurrency:
+  group: e2e-fork-${{ github.event.client_payload.pull_request.number || github.run_id }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true # cancel previous job runs for the same branch
+
+jobs:
+  e2e-tests:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml
+    if: |
+      github.event_name == 'repository_dispatch' &&
+      github.event.client_payload.slash_command.args.named.sha != '' &&
+      contains(
+        github.event.client_payload.pull_request.head.sha,
+        github.event.client_payload.slash_command.args.named.sha
+      )
+    secrets:
+      OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS: ${{ secrets.OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS }}
+      OP_CONNECT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OP_CONNECT_TOKEN }}
+      OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN }}
+
+  update-check-status:
+    needs: e2e-tests
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: always() && github.event_name == 'repository_dispatch'
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/github-script@v6
+        env:
+          ref: ${{ github.event.client_payload.pull_request.head.sha }}
+          conclusion: ${{ needs.e2e-tests.result }}
+        with:
+          github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          script: |
+            const { data: checks } = await github.rest.checks.listForRef({
+              ...context.repo,
+              ref: process.env.ref
+            });
+
+            const check = checks.check_runs.filter(c => c.name === 'e2e-test');
+
+            const { data: result } = await github.rest.checks.update({
+              ...context.repo,
+              check_run_id: check[0].id,
+              status: 'completed',
+              conclusion: process.env.conclusion
+            });
+
+            return result;
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml
index 65f3a3e..cc5897f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml
@@ -1,48 +1,43 @@
-name: Test E2E
+name: E2E Tests
 
 on:
   pull_request:
     types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]
     branches: ['**']   # run for PRs targeting any branch (main and others)
+    paths-ignore: &ignore_paths
+      - 'docs/**'
+      - '*.md'
+      - '.golangci.yml'
+      - '.gitignore'
+      - '.dockerignore'
+      - 'LICENSE'
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+    paths-ignore: *ignore_paths
 
 concurrency:
   group: e2e-${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true # cancel previous job runs for the same branch
+  cancel-in-progress: true  # cancel previous job runs for the same branch
 
 jobs:
-  e2e-test:
+  check-external-pr:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Set up Go
-        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
-        with:
-          go-version-file: go.mod
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
-        run: go mod tidy
-
-      - name: Create kind cluster
-        uses: helm/kind-action@v1
-        with:
-          cluster_name: onepassword-operator-test-e2e
-
-        # install cli to interact with item in 1Password to update/read using `testhelper/op` package
-      - name: Install 1Password CLI
-        uses: 1password/install-cli-action@v2
-        with:
-          version: 2.32.0
-
-      - name: Create '1password-credentials.json' file
-        env:
-          OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS: ${{ secrets.OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS }}
+      - name: Check if PR is from external contributor
         run: |
-          echo "$OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS" > 1password-credentials.json
+          if [ "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name }}" != "${{ github.repository }}" ]; then
+            echo "❌ External PR detected. This workflow requires approval from a maintainer."
+            echo "Please ask a maintainer to run '/ok-to-test' command to trigger the fork workflow."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "✅ Internal PR detected. Proceeding with tests."
 
-      - name: Run E2E tests
-        run: make test-e2e
-        env:
-          OP_CONNECT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OP_CONNECT_TOKEN }}
-          OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN }}
+  e2e-test:
+    needs: check-external-pr
+    if: always() && (needs.check-external-pr.result == 'success' || github.event_name != 'pull_request')
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml
+    secrets:
+      OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS: ${{ secrets.OP_CONNECT_CREDENTIALS }}
+      OP_CONNECT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OP_CONNECT_TOKEN }}
+      OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 71724cf..e784e85 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Clone the code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        uses: actions/checkout@v5
 
       - name: Setup Go
-        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v6
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod