diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-checks.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-checks.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 6c7fac2cb6..0000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-checks.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-name: Merge Checks
-
-on: workflow_dispatch
-
-jobs:
-  design-approved-check:
-    name: Design Approved Check
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Missing design-approved label
-        if: ${{ !contains(github.event.*.labels.*.name, 'design-approved') }}
-        run: |
-          echo "Pull request is missing the 'design-approved' label"
-          echo "This workflow fails so that the pull request cannot be merged"
-          exit 1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/trigger-merge-checks.yml b/.github/workflows/trigger-merge-checks.yml
index 23ca2cad8e..3e5814d07c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/trigger-merge-checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/trigger-merge-checks.yml
@@ -6,41 +6,24 @@ on:
     types: [synchronize, opened, reopened, labeled, unlabeled]
 
 permissions:
-  actions: write
-  checks: read
+  statuses: write
 
 jobs:
   check-design-approved:
     name: Check Design Approved Status
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: Run merge-checks workflow
-        if: ${{ contains(github.event.*.labels.*.name, 'design-approved') }}
+      - name: Check design approved status and update check
         run: |
+          set -x pipefail
+          status_state="pending"
+          if ${{ contains(github.event.*.labels.*.name, 'design-approved') }}; then
+            status_state="success"
+          fi
           curl -sSL --fail-with-body \
             -X POST \
             -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
             -H "Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
             -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
-            "https://api.github.com/repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/actions/workflows/merge-checks.yml/dispatches" \
-            -d '{"ref":"${{ github.head_ref }}"}'
-      - name: Update merge-checks workflow run
-        if: ${{ !contains(github.event.*.labels.*.name, 'design-approved') }}
-        run: |
-          set -x pipefail
-          if curl -sSL --fail-with-body \
-              -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-              -H "Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
-              -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
-              "https://api.github.com/repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/commits/{{ $github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}/check-runs" \
-            | jq -e '.check_runs | .[] | select(.name == "Design Approved Check")' >/dev/null
-          then
-            # The "design approved" check has previously run on this commit, so we need to reexecute it
-            curl -sSL --fail-with-body \
-              -X POST \
-              -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-              -H "Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
-              -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
-              "https://api.github.com/repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/actions/workflows/merge-checks.yml/dispatches" \
-              -d '{"ref":"${{ github.head_ref }}"}'
-          fi
+            "https://api.github.com/repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/statuses/{{ $github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}" \
+            -d '{"context":"design-approved","state":"'"$status_state"'"}'