diff --git a/.ciignore b/.ciignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7e2a869d6b4b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ciignore
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+*.md
+LICENSE
+scripts/*
+assets/*
+.circleci/*
+.ciignore
+.gitignore
diff --git a/.circleci/ciignore.sh b/.circleci/ciignore.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000..a09b3ba42f975
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.circleci/ciignore.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Exit with error if diff with origin/master only contains files mentioned in
+# .ciignore so that the build can be stopped.
+#
+# Adapted from:
+# https://circleci.com/blog/circleci-hacks-automate-the-decision-to-skip-builds-using-a-git-hook/
+# https://github.com/dollarshaveclub/harmless-changes/blob/master/index.sh
+
+set -eo pipefail
+ROOT="$(readlink -f ${BASH_SOURCE[0]%/*}/../)"
+
+if [[ ! -a "$ROOT/.ciignore" ]]; then
+	  exit # If .ciignore doesn't exists, just quit this script
+fi
+
+changes="$(git diff-tree --no-commit-id --name-only -r origin/master..HEAD)"
+
+echo "CHANGES FROM ORIGIN/MASTER:"
+echo $changes
+echo
+
+# Load the patterns we want to skip into an array
+mapfile -t blacklist < "$ROOT/.ciignore"
+
+for i in "${blacklist[@]}"
+do
+	  # Remove the current pattern from the list of changes
+	  changes=( ${changes[@]/$i/} )
+
+	  if [[ ${#changes[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
+		    # If we've exhausted the list of changes before we've finished going
+		    # through patterns, that's okay, just quit the loop
+		    break
+	  fi
+done
+
+if [[ ${#changes[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
+	  # If there's still changes left, then we have stuff to build, leave the commit alone.
+    echo "Files that are not ignored present in commits, need to build, succeed the job"
+	  exit
+fi
+
+echo "Only ignored files are present in commits, no need to build, fail the job"
+exit 1
diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index b74499ce22f5d..e05db13686ae7 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -42,6 +42,17 @@ refs:
 
 version: 2
 jobs:
+  # check if this should be built or not, fails if
+  # changes only contains files in .ciignore
+  check_build_worthiness:
+    docker:
+    - image: hasura/graphql-engine-cli-builder:v0.2
+    working_directory: ~/graphql-engine
+    steps:
+    - checkout
+    - run:
+        name: check build worthiness
+        command: .circleci/ciignore.sh
   # test build the server binary
   test_and_build_server:
     docker:
@@ -65,7 +76,6 @@ jobs:
         name: test and build server binary
         working_directory: ./server
         command: |
-          # TODO: make test
           DATABASE_URL="postgres://gql_test:@localhost:5432/gql_test" make ci-binary-and-test
           make ci-image
           make ci-save-image
@@ -156,7 +166,6 @@ jobs:
         - ~/.npm
         - ~/.cache
     - *wait_for_postgres
-    # ignore console test for now
     - run:
         name: test console
         command: .circleci/test-console.sh
@@ -193,7 +202,11 @@ workflows:
   version: 2
   build_and_test:
     jobs:
-    - test_and_build_server: *filter_only_vtags
+    - check_build_worthiness: *filter_only_vtags
+    - test_and_build_server:
+        <<: *filter_only_vtags
+        requires:
+        - check_build_worthiness
     - test_and_build_cli:
         <<: *filter_only_vtags
         requires:
@@ -201,7 +214,6 @@ workflows:
     - test_and_build_console:
         <<: *filter_only_vtags
         requires:
-        - test_and_build_server
         - test_and_build_cli
     - deploy:
         <<: *filter_only_vtags_dev_release_branches