diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 5211a9a70a..eff017ce22 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -422,13 +422,18 @@ 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"};
+    const fmt_exclude_paths = &.{
+        "test/cases",
+        // This is for the CI scripts.
+        "build-debug",
+        "build-release",
+    };
     const do_fmt = b.addFmt(.{
         .paths = fmt_include_paths,
         .exclude_paths = fmt_exclude_paths,
     });
 
-    b.step("test-fmt", "Check source files having conforming formatting").dependOn(&b.addFmt(.{
+    b.step("check-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 6369777e88..da77601ce5 100644
--- a/ci/aarch64-linux-debug.sh
+++ b/ci/aarch64-linux-debug.sh
@@ -50,11 +50,8 @@ 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 fmt --check .. \
-  --exclude ../test/cases/ \
-  --exclude ../build-debug
+stage3-debug/bin/zig build check-fmt
 
 # 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 369c14dc5f..bd9854cedc 100644
--- a/ci/aarch64-linux-release.sh
+++ b/ci/aarch64-linux-release.sh
@@ -50,11 +50,8 @@ 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 fmt --check .. \
-  --exclude ../test/cases/ \
-  --exclude ../build-release
+stage3-release/bin/zig build check-fmt
 
 # 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 2efca8f774..e007d40013 100755
--- a/ci/x86_64-linux-debug.sh
+++ b/ci/x86_64-linux-debug.sh
@@ -50,11 +50,8 @@ 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 fmt --check .. \
-  --exclude ../test/cases/ \
-  --exclude ../build-debug
+stage3-debug/bin/zig build check-fmt
 
 # 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 4dc5c37927..99c4eae732 100755
--- a/ci/x86_64-linux-release.sh
+++ b/ci/x86_64-linux-release.sh
@@ -50,12 +50,8 @@ 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 fmt --check .. \
-  --exclude ../test/cases/ \
-  --exclude ../build-debug \
-  --exclude ../build-release
+stage3-release/bin/zig build check-fmt
 
 # simultaneously test building self-hosted without LLVM and with 32-bit arm
 stage3-release/bin/zig build \