diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index eff017ce22..5211a9a70a 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -422,18 +422,13 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) !void {
     const optimization_modes = chosen_opt_modes_buf[0..chosen_mode_index];
 
     const fmt_include_paths = &.{ "doc", "lib", "src", "test", "tools", "build.zig" };
-    const fmt_exclude_paths = &.{
-        "test/cases",
-        // This is for the CI scripts.
-        "build-debug",
-        "build-release",
-    };
+    const fmt_exclude_paths = &.{"test/cases"};
     const do_fmt = b.addFmt(.{
         .paths = fmt_include_paths,
         .exclude_paths = fmt_exclude_paths,
     });
 
-    b.step("check-fmt", "Check source files having conforming formatting").dependOn(&b.addFmt(.{
+    b.step("test-fmt", "Check source files having conforming formatting").dependOn(&b.addFmt(.{
         .paths = fmt_include_paths,
         .exclude_paths = fmt_exclude_paths,
         .check = true,
diff --git a/ci/aarch64-linux-debug.sh b/ci/aarch64-linux-debug.sh
index da77601ce5..6369777e88 100644
--- a/ci/aarch64-linux-debug.sh
+++ b/ci/aarch64-linux-debug.sh
@@ -50,8 +50,11 @@ unset CXX
 
 ninja install
 
+# TODO: move this to a build.zig step (check-fmt)
 echo "Looking for non-conforming code formatting..."
-stage3-debug/bin/zig build check-fmt
+stage3-debug/bin/zig fmt --check .. \
+  --exclude ../test/cases/ \
+  --exclude ../build-debug
 
 # simultaneously test building self-hosted without LLVM and with 32-bit arm
 stage3-debug/bin/zig build \
diff --git a/ci/aarch64-linux-release.sh b/ci/aarch64-linux-release.sh
index bd9854cedc..369c14dc5f 100644
--- a/ci/aarch64-linux-release.sh
+++ b/ci/aarch64-linux-release.sh
@@ -50,8 +50,11 @@ unset CXX
 
 ninja install
 
+# TODO: move this to a build.zig step (check-fmt)
 echo "Looking for non-conforming code formatting..."
-stage3-release/bin/zig build check-fmt
+stage3-release/bin/zig fmt --check .. \
+  --exclude ../test/cases/ \
+  --exclude ../build-release
 
 # simultaneously test building self-hosted without LLVM and with 32-bit arm
 stage3-release/bin/zig build \
diff --git a/ci/x86_64-linux-debug.sh b/ci/x86_64-linux-debug.sh
index e007d40013..2efca8f774 100755
--- a/ci/x86_64-linux-debug.sh
+++ b/ci/x86_64-linux-debug.sh
@@ -50,8 +50,11 @@ unset CXX
 
 ninja install
 
+# TODO: move this to a build.zig step (check-fmt)
 echo "Looking for non-conforming code formatting..."
-stage3-debug/bin/zig build check-fmt
+stage3-debug/bin/zig fmt --check .. \
+  --exclude ../test/cases/ \
+  --exclude ../build-debug
 
 # simultaneously test building self-hosted without LLVM and with 32-bit arm
 stage3-debug/bin/zig build \
diff --git a/ci/x86_64-linux-release.sh b/ci/x86_64-linux-release.sh
index 99c4eae732..4dc5c37927 100755
--- a/ci/x86_64-linux-release.sh
+++ b/ci/x86_64-linux-release.sh
@@ -50,8 +50,12 @@ unset CXX
 
 ninja install
 
+# TODO: move this to a build.zig step (check-fmt)
 echo "Looking for non-conforming code formatting..."
-stage3-release/bin/zig build check-fmt
+stage3-release/bin/zig fmt --check .. \
+  --exclude ../test/cases/ \
+  --exclude ../build-debug \
+  --exclude ../build-release
 
 # simultaneously test building self-hosted without LLVM and with 32-bit arm
 stage3-release/bin/zig build \