diff --git a/dev/run-tests.py b/dev/run-tests.py
index 82277720bb52..fc8b7251a85f 100755
--- a/dev/run-tests.py
+++ b/dev/run-tests.py
@@ -43,15 +43,20 @@ def determine_modules_for_files(filenames):
     """
     Given a list of filenames, return the set of modules that contain those files.
     If a file is not associated with a more specific submodule, then this method will consider that
-    file to belong to the 'root' module.
+    file to belong to the 'root' module. GitHub Action and Appveyor files are ignored.
 
     >>> sorted(x.name for x in determine_modules_for_files(["python/pyspark/a.py", "sql/core/foo"]))
     ['pyspark-core', 'sql']
     >>> [x.name for x in determine_modules_for_files(["file_not_matched_by_any_subproject"])]
     ['root']
+    >>> [x.name for x in determine_modules_for_files( \
+            [".github/workflows/master.yml", "appveyor.yml"])]
+    []
     """
     changed_modules = set()
     for filename in filenames:
+        if filename in (".github/workflows/master.yml", "appveyor.yml"):
+            continue
         matched_at_least_one_module = False
         for module in modules.all_modules:
             if module.contains_file(filename):