diff --git a/.github/workflows/presubmit.yaml b/.github/workflows/presubmit.yaml
index dc152e2bec88..c5de30eba54e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/presubmit.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/presubmit.yaml
@@ -34,12 +34,14 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@d23441a48e516b6c34aea4fa41551a30e30af803 # v6.1.0
         with:
-          fetch-depth: 300
+          fetch-depth: 2
           persist-credentials: false
       - name: Use Node.js 24
         uses: actions/setup-node@249970729cb0ef3589644e2896645e5dc5ba9c38 # v6.5.0
         with:
           node-version: 24
       - run: npm install
-      - run: npm run lint
+      - run: node ./bin/linter.mjs --strict
         name: Run monorepo linter
+        env:
+          GIT_DIFF_ARG: "HEAD^1"
diff --git a/bin/linter.mjs b/bin/linter.mjs
index bd9a976ca944..2eb8645c0881 100755
--- a/bin/linter.mjs
+++ b/bin/linter.mjs
@@ -26,7 +26,13 @@ const tsconfigCache = new Map();
 // --- Main Runner (Entry Point) ---
 async function run() {
   try {
-    const changedTsFiles = getChangedFiles();
+    const isStrict = Boolean(process.argv.includes('--strict'));
+    let changedTsFiles;
+    if (isStrict) {
+      changedTsFiles = getChangedFilesStrict();
+    } else {
+      changedTsFiles = getChangedFiles();
+    }
 
     if (changedTsFiles.length === 0) {
       console.log('No TypeScript files changed. Skipping checks.');
@@ -63,16 +69,56 @@ function runGit(args, options = {}) {
   });
 }
 
+function getChangedFilesStrict() {
+  const gitDiffArg = process.env.GIT_DIFF_ARG;
+
+  if (!gitDiffArg) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'Strict mode is enabled, but GIT_DIFF_ARG environment variable or --git-diff-arg flag was not provided. ' +
+      'Please set the GIT_DIFF_ARG environment variable or provide --git-diff-arg <arg>.'
+    );
+  }
+
+  console.log(`Strict mode enabled. Comparing using GIT_DIFF_ARG: ${gitDiffArg}`);
+
+  const args = gitDiffArg.trim().split(/\s+/);
+
+  try {
+    const output = runGit([
+      'diff',
+      '--name-only',
+      '--diff-filter=ACMRT',
+      ...args,
+      '--',
+      '*.ts',
+    ]);
+    return output
+      .split('\n')
+      .map(f => f.trim())
+      .filter(f => f.length > 0 && existsSync(f));
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err.status !== 1) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Strict mode error: git diff --quiet ${gitDiffArg} failed with exit code ${err.status}.\n` +
+        `Ensure that the git reference '${gitDiffArg}' exists locally and that you have fetched the required commits/branches.\n` +
+        `Details: ${String(err.stderr || err.message || '').trim()}`
+      );
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Returns a list of changed TypeScript files comparing against target branches/references.
  */
 function getChangedFiles() {
   const base = process.env.GITHUB_BASE_REF || 'main';
   const refsToTry = [
+    `origin/${base}...HEAD`,
+    `${base}...HEAD`,
+    `upstream/${base}...HEAD`,
+    `origin/${base}`,
     base,
     `upstream/${base}`,
-    `origin/${base}`,
-    'FETCH_HEAD',
     'HEAD~1',
     'HEAD^',
   ];