diff --git a/tools/linter/adapters/workflow_consistency_linter.py b/tools/linter/adapters/workflow_consistency_linter.py
index f3e3c7f7b45..54a98df699c 100644
--- a/tools/linter/adapters/workflow_consistency_linter.py
+++ b/tools/linter/adapters/workflow_consistency_linter.py
@@ -16,9 +16,6 @@ from typing import Any, NamedTuple, TYPE_CHECKING
 from yaml import dump, load
 
 
-REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent.parent.parent
-
-
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from collections.abc import Iterable
 
@@ -85,25 +82,6 @@ def print_lint_message(path: Path, job: dict[str, Any], sync_tag: str) -> None:
     print(json.dumps(lint_message._asdict()), flush=True)
 
 
-def get_jobs_with_sync_tag(
-    job: dict[str, Any],
-) -> tuple[str, Path, dict[str, Any]] | None:
-    sync_tag = job.get("with", {}).get("sync-tag")
-    if sync_tag is None:
-        return None
-
-    # remove the "if" field, which we allow to be different between jobs
-    # (since you might have different triggering conditions on pull vs.
-    # trunk, say.)
-    if "if" in job:
-        del job["if"]
-
-    # same is true for ['with']['test-matrix']
-    if "test-matrix" in job.get("with", {}):
-        del job["with"]["test-matrix"]
-    return (sync_tag, path, {job_id: job})
-
-
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         description="workflow consistency linter.",
@@ -116,38 +94,41 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     )
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
-    # Go through all files, aggregating jobs with the same sync tag
+    # Go through the provided files, aggregating jobs with the same sync tag
     tag_to_jobs = defaultdict(list)
-    for path in REPO_ROOT.glob(".github/workflows/*"):
-        if not path.is_file() or path.suffix not in {".yml", ".yaml"}:
-            continue
-        workflow = load_yaml(path)
-        if not is_workflow(workflow):
-            continue
-        jobs = workflow.get("jobs", {})
-        for job_id, job in jobs.items():
-            res = get_jobs_with_sync_tag(job)
-            if res is None:
-                continue
-            sync_tag, path, job_dict = res
-            tag_to_jobs[sync_tag].append((path, {job_id: job}))
-
-    # Check the files passed as arguments
     for path in args.filenames:
         workflow = load_yaml(Path(path))
         jobs = workflow["jobs"]
         for job_id, job in jobs.items():
-            res = get_jobs_with_sync_tag(job)
-            if res is None:
+            try:
+                sync_tag = job["with"]["sync-tag"]
+            except KeyError:
                 continue
-            sync_tag, path, job_dict = res
 
-            # For each sync tag, check that all the jobs have the same code.
-            for baseline_path, baseline_dict in tag_to_jobs[sync_tag]:
-                baseline_str = dump(baseline_dict)
+            # remove the "if" field, which we allow to be different between jobs
+            # (since you might have different triggering conditions on pull vs.
+            # trunk, say.)
+            if "if" in job:
+                del job["if"]
 
-                printed_baseline = False
+            # same is true for ['with']['test-matrix']
+            if "test-matrix" in job.get("with", {}):
+                del job["with"]["test-matrix"]
 
-                job_str = dump(job_dict)
-                if baseline_str != job_str:
-                    print_lint_message(path, job_dict, sync_tag)
+            tag_to_jobs[sync_tag].append((path, {job_id: job}))
+
+    # For each sync tag, check that all the jobs have the same code.
+    for sync_tag, path_and_jobs in tag_to_jobs.items():
+        baseline_path, baseline_dict = path_and_jobs.pop()
+        baseline_str = dump(baseline_dict)
+
+        printed_baseline = False
+
+        for path, job_dict in path_and_jobs:
+            job_str = dump(job_dict)
+            if baseline_str != job_str:
+                print_lint_message(path, job_dict, sync_tag)
+
+                if not printed_baseline:
+                    print_lint_message(baseline_path, baseline_dict, sync_tag)
+                    printed_baseline = True