diff --git a/.github/workflows/java-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/java-pr.yml
index 189a902c7a..6a0ebe94c7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/java-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/java-pr.yml
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run Integration Tests
         run: | 
           ./cicd/run-it-tests \
+          --modules-to-build="DEFAULT" \
           --it-region="us-central1" \
           --it-project="cloud-teleport-testing" \
           --it-artifact-bucket="cloud-teleport-testing-it-gitactions" \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/spanner-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/spanner-pr.yml
index 8bc34916a9..d9df005f2a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/spanner-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/spanner-pr.yml
@@ -21,14 +21,20 @@ on:
     branches:
     - 'main'
     paths:
-      # Include spanner paths only
+      # Template wide common modules
+      - 'v2/common/**'
+      - 'v2/datastream-common/**'
+      - 'it/google-cloud-platform/**'
+      - 'it/conditions/**'
+      # Component common modules
+      - 'v2/spanner-common/**'
+      - 'v2/spanner-migrations-sdk/**'
+      - 'v2/spanner-custom-shard/**'
+      # Include spanner paths
       - '.github/workflows/spanner-pr.yml'
       - 'v2/datastream-to-spanner/**'
-      - 'v2/spanner-common/**'
       - 'v2/spanner-change-streams-to-sharded-file-sink/**'
       - 'v2/gcs-to-sourcedb/**'
-      - 'v2/spanner-migrations-sdk/**'
-      - 'v2/spanner-custom-shard/**'
       - 'v2/sourcedb-to-spanner/**'
       - 'v2/spanner-to-sourcedb/**'
   schedule:
diff --git a/cicd/internal/flags/common-flags.go b/cicd/internal/flags/common-flags.go
index 56a6f2568e..fab3276ba1 100644
--- a/cicd/internal/flags/common-flags.go
+++ b/cicd/internal/flags/common-flags.go
@@ -22,14 +22,25 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	ALL     = "ALL"
+	ALL     = "ALL"     // All modules
+	DEFAULT = "DEFAULT" // Modules other than those excluded
 	SPANNER = "SPANNER"
 )
 
 // Avoid making these vars public.
 var (
 	modulesToBuild string
-	moduleMap      = map[string]string{ALL: "", SPANNER: "v2/datastream-to-spanner/,v2/spanner-change-streams-to-sharded-file-sink/,v2/gcs-to-sourcedb/,v2/sourcedb-to-spanner/,v2/spanner-to-sourcedb/,v2/spanner-custom-shard,plugins/templates-maven-plugin"}
+	moduleMap      = map[string][]string{
+		ALL:     {},
+		DEFAULT: {},
+		SPANNER: {"v2/datastream-to-spanner/",
+			"v2/spanner-change-streams-to-sharded-file-sink/",
+			"v2/gcs-to-sourcedb/",
+			"v2/sourcedb-to-spanner/",
+			"v2/spanner-to-sourcedb/",
+			"v2/spanner-custom-shard",
+			"plugins/templates-maven-plugin"},
+	}
 )
 
 // Registers all common flags. Must be called before flag.Parse().
@@ -40,8 +51,21 @@ func RegisterCommonFlags() {
 // Returns all modules to build.
 func ModulesToBuild() []string {
 	m := modulesToBuild
-	if val, ok := moduleMap[modulesToBuild]; ok {
-		m = val
+	if m == "DEFAULT" {
+		// "DEFAULT" is "ALL" minus other modules defined in moduleMap
+		var s []string
+		for k, v := range moduleMap {
+			if k != "ALL" && k != "DEFAULT" {
+				for _, n := range v {
+					if !strings.HasPrefix(n, "plugins/") {
+						s = append(s, "!"+n)
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		return s
+	} else if val, ok := moduleMap[modulesToBuild]; ok {
+		return val
 	}
 	if len(m) == 0 {
 		return make([]string, 0)
diff --git a/cicd/internal/flags/common-flags_test.go b/cicd/internal/flags/common-flags_test.go
index 444b258a98..91df69626f 100644
--- a/cicd/internal/flags/common-flags_test.go
+++ b/cicd/internal/flags/common-flags_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package flags
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -52,3 +53,23 @@ func TestModulesToBuild(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestDefaultExcludedSubModules(t *testing.T) {
+	// common modules won't excluded
+	modulesToBuild = "DEFAULT"
+	defaults := ModulesToBuild()
+	mods := []string{"SPANNER"}
+	var s []string
+	for _, m := range mods {
+		modulesToBuild = m
+		ms := ModulesToBuild()
+		for _, n := range ms {
+			if !strings.HasPrefix(n, "plugins/") {
+				s = append(s, "!"+n)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(defaults, s) {
+		t.Errorf("Returned modules are not equal. Expected %v. Got %v.", s, defaults)
+	}
+}