diff --git a/pr-checks/changelog/validate.mts b/pr-checks/changelog/validate.mts
index 2e28a4ab13..3c83276f38 100644
--- a/pr-checks/changelog/validate.mts
+++ b/pr-checks/changelog/validate.mts
@@ -119,14 +119,3 @@ export function isValidChangenoteFile(filename: string): boolean {
 
   return isValid;
 }
-
-/**
- * Validates the change-note files of the given list of file paths, ignoring ".gitkeep".
- * @param filepaths A list of filepaths to validate
- * @returns True if all the paths are valid, false otherwise.
- */
-export function isValidAllChangenoteFiles(filepaths: string[]): boolean {
-  return filepaths
-    .filter((f) => f !== ".gitkeep")
-    .reduce((r, filePath) => r && isValidChangenoteFile(filePath), true);
-}
diff --git a/pr-checks/changelog/validate.test.mts b/pr-checks/changelog/validate.test.mts
index a38339d1c9..b8b1e33bb0 100644
--- a/pr-checks/changelog/validate.test.mts
+++ b/pr-checks/changelog/validate.test.mts
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import * as fs from "node:fs";
-import * as path from "node:path";
 import { describe, it } from "node:test";
 
-import { withTmpDir, withTmpFile } from "../../src/util";
+import { withTmpFile } from "../../src/util";
 
 import {
   hasValidChangenoteCategory,
-  isValidAllChangenoteFiles,
   isValidChangenoteContent,
   isValidChangenoteFile,
   isValidChangenoteFilename,
@@ -187,39 +184,3 @@ await describe("isValidChangenoteFile", async () => {
     );
   });
 });
-
-await describe("isValidAllChangenoteFiles", async () => {
-  await it("accepts list of file paths of valid change-notes", async () => {
-    await withTmpDir(async (tmpDir) => {
-      const fileName1 = path.join(tmpDir, "2026-01-01-fix-bug.md");
-      const fileName2 = path.join(tmpDir, "2026-01-02-add-feature.md");
-      fs.writeFileSync(fileName1, "---\ncategory: fix\n---\n- Fixed a bug\n");
-      fs.writeFileSync(
-        fileName2,
-        "---\ncategory: feature\n---\n- Added a feature\n",
-      );
-      assert.equal(isValidAllChangenoteFiles([fileName1, fileName2]), true);
-    });
-  });
-
-  await it("accepts the empty list", async () => {
-    assert.equal(isValidAllChangenoteFiles([]), true);
-  });
-
-  await it("accepts list of .gitkeep", async () => {
-    assert.equal(isValidAllChangenoteFiles([".gitkeep"]), true);
-  });
-
-  await it("rejects list containing a file path to an invalid change-note", async () => {
-    await withTmpDir(async (tmpDir) => {
-      const fileName1 = path.join(tmpDir, "2026-01-01-fix-bug.md");
-      const fileName2 = path.join(tmpDir, "2026-01-02-wrong-category.md");
-      fs.writeFileSync(fileName1, "---\ncategory: fix\n---\n- Fixed a bug\n");
-      fs.writeFileSync(
-        fileName2,
-        "---\ncategory: foobar\n---\n- Added a feature\n",
-      );
-      assert.equal(isValidAllChangenoteFiles([fileName1, fileName2]), false);
-    });
-  });
-});
diff --git a/pr-checks/changenotes.mts b/pr-checks/changenotes.mts
index d19d2da83b..980d103a28 100755
--- a/pr-checks/changenotes.mts
+++ b/pr-checks/changenotes.mts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {
   renderChangelog,
   withChangelog,
 } from "./changelog";
-import { isValidAllChangenoteFiles } from "./changelog/validate.mjs";
+import { isValidChangenoteFile } from "./changelog/validate.mjs";
 import { CHANGENOTES_DIR } from "./config";
 
 /**
@@ -116,7 +116,11 @@ function assemble(): ExitCode {
 
 function validate(): ExitCode {
   try {
-    if (isValidAllChangenoteFiles(fs.readdirSync(CHANGENOTES_DIR))) {
+    const allChangenotesValid = getChangenotes().reduce(
+      (r, changenote) => r && isValidChangenoteFile(changenote.absolutePath),
+      true,
+    );
+    if (allChangenotesValid) {
       console.log(`All changenotes in '${CHANGENOTES_DIR}' are valid.`);
       return ExitCode.Success;
     }