diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 90f065c9419..7a6ca203b02 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -713,23 +713,6 @@ test-e2e-skip-build-and-push:
 	MANAGER_IMAGE=$(CONTROLLER_IMG)-$(ARCH):$(TAG) \
 	$(MAKE) test-e2e-run
 
-CONFORMANCE_FLAVOR ?=
-CONFORMANCE_E2E_ARGS ?= -kubetest.config-file=$(KUBETEST_CONF_PATH)
-CONFORMANCE_E2E_ARGS += $(E2E_ARGS)
-.PHONY: test-conformance
-test-conformance: ## Run conformance test on workload cluster.
-	$(MAKE) test-e2e-skip-push GINKGO_FOCUS="Conformance" E2E_ARGS='$(CONFORMANCE_E2E_ARGS)' CONFORMANCE_FLAVOR='$(CONFORMANCE_FLAVOR)'
-
-test-conformance-fast: ## Run conformance test on workload cluster using a subset of the conformance suite in parallel.
-	$(MAKE) test-conformance CONFORMANCE_E2E_ARGS="-kubetest.config-file=$(KUBETEST_FAST_CONF_PATH) -kubetest.ginkgo-nodes=5 $(E2E_ARGS)"
-
-.PHONY: test-windows-upstream
-test-windows-upstream: ## Run windows upstream tests on workload cluster.
-ifneq ($(WIN_REPO_URL), )
-	curl --retry $(CURL_RETRIES) $(WIN_REPO_URL) -o $(KUBETEST_REPO_LIST_PATH)/custom-repo-list.yaml
-endif
-	$(MAKE) test-conformance CONFORMANCE_E2E_ARGS="-kubetest.config-file=$(KUBETEST_WINDOWS_CONF_PATH) -kubetest.repo-list-path=$(KUBETEST_REPO_LIST_PATH) $(E2E_ARGS)"
-
 ## --------------------------------------
 ## Security Scanning
 ## --------------------------------------
@@ -871,3 +854,5 @@ $(CODESPELL): ## Build codespell from tools folder.
 		mv $(TOOLS_BIN_DIR)/$(CODESPELL_DIST_DIR)/bin/$(CODESPELL_BIN) $(TOOLS_BIN_DIR)/$(CODESPELL_DIST_DIR); \
 		rm -r $(TOOLS_BIN_DIR)/$(CODESPELL_DIST_DIR)/bin; \
     )
+
+include conformance.mk
diff --git a/conformance.mk b/conformance.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0d1830ff3a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conformance.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# conformance.mk
+# Do Not Rename this file!
+# Make configuration that effects conformance E2E behaviors should go in here,
+# to allow us to maintain the core Makefile without having to execute
+# long-running conformance E2E jobs every time that file changes
+CONFORMANCE_FLAVOR ?=
+CONFORMANCE_E2E_ARGS ?= -kubetest.config-file=$(KUBETEST_CONF_PATH)
+CONFORMANCE_E2E_ARGS += $(E2E_ARGS)
+
+##@ Conformance testing:
+
+.PHONY: test-conformance
+test-conformance: ## Run conformance test on workload cluster.
+	$(MAKE) test-e2e-skip-push GINKGO_FOCUS="Conformance" E2E_ARGS='$(CONFORMANCE_E2E_ARGS)' CONFORMANCE_FLAVOR='$(CONFORMANCE_FLAVOR)'
+
+test-conformance-fast: ## Run conformance test on workload cluster using a subset of the conformance suite in parallel.
+	$(MAKE) test-conformance CONFORMANCE_E2E_ARGS="-kubetest.config-file=$(KUBETEST_FAST_CONF_PATH) -kubetest.ginkgo-nodes=5 $(E2E_ARGS)"
+
+.PHONY: test-windows-upstream
+test-windows-upstream: ## Run windows upstream tests on workload cluster.
+ifneq ($(WIN_REPO_URL), )
+	curl --retry $(CURL_RETRIES) $(WIN_REPO_URL) -o $(KUBETEST_REPO_LIST_PATH)/custom-repo-list.yaml
+endif
+	$(MAKE) test-conformance CONFORMANCE_E2E_ARGS="-kubetest.config-file=$(KUBETEST_WINDOWS_CONF_PATH) -kubetest.repo-list-path=$(KUBETEST_REPO_LIST_PATH) $(E2E_ARGS)"