diff --git a/.Pipelines/CI-AND-RELEASE-PIPELINES.md b/.Pipelines/CI-AND-RELEASE-PIPELINES.md
index 11a9baeb..d19ec5fb 100644
--- a/.Pipelines/CI-AND-RELEASE-PIPELINES.md
+++ b/.Pipelines/CI-AND-RELEASE-PIPELINES.md
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ including what each pipeline does, when it runs, and how to trigger a release.
 | Push / merge | `dev` |
 | Scheduled | Daily at 11:45 PM Pacific, `dev` branch (only when there are new changes) |
 
-Fast unit-test feedback for PRs targeting **other** branches (e.g. `release-x.y.z`)
-is provided separately by the GitHub Actions workflow
+Package build verification for PRs targeting any branch is provided separately
+by the GitHub Actions workflow
 [`.github/workflows/python-package.yml`](../.github/workflows/python-package.yml),
-which runs the package build and unit tests on every PR.
+which builds the package and runs `twine check` on every PR.
 
 ### Stages
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
index f34f7753..5f9f1f4c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
-# Build verification + unit tests for the msal Python package.
+# Build verification for the msal Python package.
 #
 # This workflow runs on every PR (against any target branch) to give contributors
-# fast feedback that the package still builds and that the unit tests pass across
-# all supported Python versions.
+# fast feedback that the package still builds and that the distribution metadata
+# passes `twine check`.
 #
-# Post-merge validation on dev, E2E tests, benchmarks, SDL scans, and PyPI
-# publishing are NOT run here. Those run in the ADO pipelines:
-#   - azure-pipelines.yml             (PRs + pushes to dev: unit + E2E + SDL)
+# Unit tests, E2E tests, benchmarks, SDL scans, and PyPI publishing are NOT run
+# here. Those run in the IDDP/ADO pipelines:
+#   - azure-pipelines.yml             (PRs + pushes: unit + E2E + benchmarks + SDL)
 #   - .Pipelines/pipeline-publish.yml (manual release to TestPyPI / PyPI)
 
-name: Build and Unit Tests
+name: Build
 
 on:
   pull_request:
@@ -43,39 +43,3 @@ jobs:
         name: dist
         path: dist/
         retention-days: 7
-
-  ci:
-    name: Unit tests Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-    permissions:
-      contents: read
-
-    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        python-version: ['3.9', '3.10', '3.11', '3.12', '3.13', '3.14']
-
-    steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-    - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-      # It automatically takes care of pip cache, according to
-      # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/caching-dependencies-to-speed-up-workflows#about-caching-workflow-dependencies
-      with:
-        python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        cache: 'pip'
-
-    - name: Install dependencies
-      run: |
-        python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-        python -m pip install pytest
-        if [ -f requirements.txt ]; then pip install -r requirements.txt; fi
-
-    - name: Run unit tests
-      # Skip benchmarks and E2E tests — those require lab credentials and run in ADO.
-      run: |
-        pytest tests/ \
-          --benchmark-skip \
-          --ignore=tests/test_e2e.py \
-          --ignore=tests/test_e2e_manual.py \
-          --ignore=tests/test_fmi_e2e.py
diff --git a/doc/python_version_support_policy.md b/doc/python_version_support_policy.md
index 26fcb68d..9672e59b 100644
--- a/doc/python_version_support_policy.md
+++ b/doc/python_version_support_policy.md
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ kept in sync with this policy:
 1. **`setup.cfg`** — `python_requires`, the `Programming Language ::
    Python :: 3.x` trove classifiers, and any `python_version`
    environment markers on optional dependencies (e.g. `pymsalruntime`).
-2. **`.github/workflows/python-package.yml`** — the `python-version`
-   matrix used by the `pytest` test job.
+2. **`azure-pipelines.yml`** and **`.Pipelines/template-pipeline-stages.yml`**
+   — the `python-version` matrix used by the PR-gate unit and E2E test stages.
 3. **`tests/test_cryptography.py`** — the N+3 ceiling test that enforces
    tracking the latest `cryptography` release. Newer `cryptography`
    versions routinely drop EOL Python versions, which is the most common