diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr_rtl_change_check.yml b/.github/workflows/pr_rtl_change_check.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..071b49c187e75d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr_rtl_change_check.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+name: 'Testing GH Actions'
+
+# **What it does**: Renders the content of every page and check all internal links.
+# **Why we have it**: To make sure all links connect correctly.
+# **Who does it impact**: Docs content.
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  pull_request:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  # Needed for the 'trilom/file-changes-action' action
+  pull-requests: read
+
+jobs:
+  check-links:
+    runs-on: "ubuntu-latest"
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      # Creates file "$/files.json", among others
+      - name: Gather files changed
+        uses: trilom/file-changes-action@a6ca26c14274c33b15e6499323aac178af06ad4b
+        with:
+          fileOutput: 'json'
+
+      # For verification
+      - name: Show files changed
+        run: cat $HOME/files.json
+
+      - name: Check for blocked changs
+        run: ./ci/scripts/check-pr-changes-allowed.py $HOME/files.json
diff --git a/BLOCKFILE b/BLOCKFILE
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..54e2f4407ccba4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/BLOCKFILE
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# A test block file
+
+hw/ip/*/rtl/*
+hw/ip_templates/*/rtl/*
+hw/top_earlgrey/rtl/*
+hw/top_earlgrey/ip/*/rtl/*
+hw/top_earlgrey/ip_autogen/*/rtl/*
+
diff --git a/ci/scripts/check-pr-changes-allowed.py b/ci/scripts/check-pr-changes-allowed.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000000..46538b399a9aff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/scripts/check-pr-changes-allowed.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Copyright lowRISC contributors.
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, see LICENSE for details.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+from fnmatch import fnmatch
+import json
+import argparse
+import sys
+
+def load_blockfile(blockfile_name):
+    blocklist = []
+    with open(blockfile_name, 'r') as blockfile:
+        for line in blockfile.readlines():
+            # Remove everything following a '#' for comments
+            line = line.partition('#')[0]
+            # Remove leading and trailing whitespace
+            line = line.strip()
+
+            # If anything remains after the above add it to the list
+            if line != '':
+                blocklist.append(line)
+
+    return blocklist
+
+def load_and_validate_changes(changes_json_file):
+    with open(changes_json_file, 'r') as changes_json:
+        changes = json.load(changes_json)
+
+    if type(changes) != list:
+        raise ValueError('Changes JSON must be a list at top-level')
+
+    for change in changes:
+        if type(change) != str:
+            raise ValueError(f'Saw value {change} in changes JSON which is not '
+                             'a string. Changes JSON must be a single list of '
+                             'strings')
+
+    return changes
+
+def check_changes_against_blocklist(changes, blocklist):
+    blocked_changes = {}
+
+    for change in changes:
+        # Create list of patterns from blocklist that match change
+        blocked = list(filter(lambda x: x is not None,
+            map(lambda b: b if fnmatch(change, b) else None, blocklist)))
+
+        # If any match patterns exist add them to the blocked_changes dictionary
+        if blocked:
+            blocked_changes[change] = blocked
+
+    return blocked_changes
+
+def main():
+    arg_parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+            prog='check-pr-changes-allowed',
+            description='''Checks a list of changed files supplied as a json
+                           list against blocked file patterns. If any match
+                           exits with code 1 and the PR should be blocked.''')
+
+    arg_parser.add_argument('changes_json_file', metavar='changes-json-file',
+            help='''JSON file containing a list of changed files''')
+
+    arg_parser.add_argument('--block-file', default='BLOCKFILE',
+            help='''Plain text file containing path patterns that when matched
+                    indicate a blocked file. One pattern per line''')
+
+    arg_parser.add_argument('--gh-token',
+            help='''A github access token used to read PR comments for override
+                    commands''')
+
+    args = arg_parser.parse_args()
+
+    blocklist = load_blockfile(args.block_file)
+    print(blocklist)
+    changes = load_and_validate_changes(args.changes_json_file)
+    print(changes)
+    blocked_changes = check_changes_against_blocklist(changes, blocklist)
+    print(blocked_changes)
+
+    if blocked_changes:
+        for change, block_patterns in blocked_changes.items():
+            patterns_str = ' '.join(block_patterns)
+            print(f'{change} blocked by pattern(s): {patterns_str}')
+
+        print('UNAUTHORIZED CHANGES PRESENT, PR cannot be merged!')
+        return 1
+
+    print('No unauthorized changes, clear to merge')
+    return 0
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    sys.exit(main())
+