diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-check.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-check.yml
index 59daf7faf791..166859a8b67d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-check.yml
@@ -2,12 +2,23 @@ name: Check Merge Fast-Forward Only
 
 permissions:
   pull-requests: write
+  issues: write
 
 on:
   push:
+    branches:
+      - master
   pull_request_target:
-  pull_request_review:
-    types: [submitted]
+    types:
+      - opened
+      - synchronize
+      - reopened
+      - edited
+      - ready_for_review
+
+concurrency:
+  group: merge-check-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
   check_merge:
@@ -18,39 +29,49 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
-      - name: Set up Git
-        run: |
-          git config user.name "GitHub Action"
-          git config user.email "noreply@example.com"
-
-      - name: Check merge --ff-only
+      - name: Check fast-forward
+        id: ff_check
+        env:
+          BASE_REF: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref }}
+          PR_NUMBER: ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
         run: |
-          if [[ "${{ github.ref_name }}" == "master" ]]; then
-            echo "Already on master, no need to check --ff-only"
-          else
-            git fetch --no-tags origin master:master
-            if [[ "${{ github.event_name }}" == "pull_request"* ]]; then
-              git fetch --no-tags origin ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref }}:base_branch
-              git checkout base_branch
-              git pull --rebase=false origin pull/${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}/head
-              git checkout master
-              git merge --ff-only base_branch
-            else
-              git checkout master
-              git merge --ff-only ${{ github.sha }}
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [[ "${{ github.event_name }}" == "pull_request_target" ]]; then
+            git fetch --no-tags origin "+refs/heads/${BASE_REF}:refs/tmp/base_branch"
+            git fetch --no-tags origin "+pull/${PR_NUMBER}/head:refs/tmp/pr_head"
+            if ! git merge-base --is-ancestor refs/tmp/base_branch refs/tmp/pr_head; then
+              echo "PR head does not contain the tip of '${BASE_REF}'; rebase required."
+              echo "needs_rebase=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+              exit 1
             fi
+            echo "PR head fast-forwards from '${BASE_REF}'."
+          else
+            echo "Push event on '${{ github.ref_name }}'; no fast-forward check required."
           fi
 
       - name: add labels
-        uses: actions-ecosystem/action-add-labels@v1
-        if: failure()
-        with:
-          labels: |
-            needs rebase
+        if: always() && steps.ff_check.outputs.needs_rebase == 'true' && github.event_name == 'pull_request_target'
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          GH_REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
+          PR_NUMBER: ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+        run: |
+          gh pr edit "${PR_NUMBER}" --add-label "needs rebase"
 
       - name: comment
-        uses: mshick/add-pr-comment@v3
-        if: failure()
-        with:
-          message: |
-            This pull request has conflicts, please rebase.
+        if: always() && steps.ff_check.outputs.needs_rebase == 'true' && github.event_name == 'pull_request_target'
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          GH_REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
+          PR_NUMBER: ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          MARKER='<!-- merge-check-comment -->'
+          BODY=$(printf '%s\n%s\n' "${MARKER}" "This pull request has conflicts, please rebase.")
+          EXISTING_ID=$(gh api "repos/${GH_REPO}/issues/${PR_NUMBER}/comments" --paginate \
+            --jq "[.[] | select(.body | contains(\"${MARKER}\"))][0].id // empty")
+          if [[ -n "${EXISTING_ID}" ]]; then
+            gh api -X PATCH "repos/${GH_REPO}/issues/comments/${EXISTING_ID}" -f body="${BODY}"
+          else
+            gh pr comment "${PR_NUMBER}" --body "${BODY}"
+          fi