diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index 10266228b1f..4e428d8cebf 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ After: the same request comes back with real token counts, so the dashboard show
 **Please complete all items before asking a LiteLLM maintainer to review your PR**
 
 - [ ] I have added meaningful tests
-- [ ] My PR passes all CI/CD checks (e.g., lint, format, unit tests)
+- [ ] The handful of test files covering my change pass locally, e.g. `uv run pytest tests/test_litellm/<your_test_file>.py -v`. Leave the suites (`make test-unit-*`, `make test-unit`) to CI: it finishes in ~15 minutes where a laptop takes an hour or more
+- [ ] My PR passes all required CI/CD checks (e.g., lint, schema.d.ts sync check, etc.)
 - [ ] My PR's scope is as isolated as possible; it only solves 1 specific problem
 - [ ] I have received a Greptile **Confidence Score of at least 4/5** before requesting a maintainer review (Greptile reviews automatically once the PR is opened; only comment `@greptileai` to re-request a review after pushing changes)
 
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index d995ddcc87e..9ef1d5ae2b8 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ Here are the core requirements for any PR submitted to LiteLLM:
 
 - [ ] **Add testing** - Adding at least 1 test is a hard requirement - [see details](#adding-testing)
 - [ ] **Ensure your PR passes all checks**:
-  - [ ] [Unit Tests](#running-unit-tests) - `make test-unit`
   - [ ] [Linting / Formatting](#running-linting-and-formatting-checks) - `make lint`
+  - [ ] [The tests covering your change](#running-unit-tests) pass, e.g. `uv run pytest tests/test_litellm/<your_test_file>.py -v`. CI runs the full unit test matrix, so you don't need to run the whole suite locally
 
 #### UI PRs
 
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ make format
 # Run all linting checks (matches CI exactly)
 make lint
 
-# Run unit tests to ensure nothing is broken
-make test-unit
+# Run the tests covering your change (CI runs the full suite)
+uv run pytest tests/test_litellm/<your_test_file>.py -v
 
 # Commit your changes (must follow Conventional Commits — see above)
 git add .
@@ -123,12 +123,13 @@ def test_your_feature():
 
 ### Running Unit Tests
 
-Run all unit tests (uses parallel execution for speed):
-
+Run the tests covering your change:
 ```bash
-make test-unit
+uv run pytest tests/test_litellm/test_your_file.py -v
 ```
 
+`tests/test_litellm` holds thousands of tests, so running all of it locally takes a long time. CI runs it as a parallel matrix (`make test-unit-llms`, `make test-unit-proxy-core`, and the other `test-unit-*` targets) on beefier boxes, so if, for whatever reason, you must run the whole suite, it's better to rely on CI to do that.
+
 If you're running broader test suites, proxy tests, or anything that touches PostgreSQL-backed fixtures/plugins, install the full local test environment first:
 
 ```bash
@@ -137,11 +138,6 @@ make install-test-deps
 
 This syncs the locked test environment used across the repo, including `psycopg` v3 plus `psycopg-binary` (used by `pytest-postgresql`), `psycopg2-binary` (used by some proxy E2E tests), and a generated Prisma client for DB-backed proxy tests, so pytest startup matches CI without manual package installs.
 
-Run specific test files:
-```bash
-uv run pytest tests/test_litellm/test_your_file.py -v
-```
-
 ### Running Linting and Formatting Checks
 
 Run all linting checks (matches CI exactly):