diff --git a/editcheck/modules/BaseEditCheck.js b/editcheck/modules/BaseEditCheck.js
index a573e38201..60e01899ce 100644
--- a/editcheck/modules/BaseEditCheck.js
+++ b/editcheck/modules/BaseEditCheck.js
@@ -47,10 +47,33 @@ mw.editcheck.BaseEditCheck.prototype.getDescription = function ( /* action */ )
 	return this.constructor.static.description;
 };
 
-mw.editcheck.BaseEditCheck.prototype.getModifiedRangesFromDiff = function ( diff ) {
-	if ( !mw.editcheck.ecenable && this.config.maximumEditcount && mw.config.get( 'wgUserEditCount', 0 ) > this.config.maximumEditcount ) {
-		return [];
+/**
+ * Find out whether the check should be applied
+ *
+ * This is a general check for its applicability to the viewer / page, rather
+ * than a specific check based on the current edit. It's used to filter out
+ * checks before any maybe-expensive content analysis happens.
+ *
+ * @return {boolean} Whether the check should be shown
+ */
+mw.editcheck.BaseEditCheck.prototype.canBeShown = function () {
+	// all checks are only in the main namespace for now
+	if ( mw.config.get( 'wgNamespaceNumber' ) !== mw.config.get( 'wgNamespaceIds' )[ '' ] ) {
+		return false;
 	}
+	// some checks are configured to only be for logged in / out users
+	if ( !mw.editcheck.accountShouldSeeEditCheck( this.config ) ) {
+		// includes checking for mw.editcheck.ecenable
+		return false;
+	}
+	// some checks are only shown for newer users
+	if ( this.config.maximumEditcount && mw.config.get( 'wgUserEditCount', 0 ) > this.config.maximumEditcount ) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	return true;
+};
+
+mw.editcheck.BaseEditCheck.prototype.getModifiedRangesFromDiff = function ( diff ) {
 	return diff.getModifiedRanges( this.constructor.static.onlyCoveredNodes )
 		.filter( ( range ) => this.shouldApplyToSection( diff, range ) && range.getLength() >= this.config.minimumCharacters );
 };
diff --git a/editcheck/modules/EditCheckFactory.js b/editcheck/modules/EditCheckFactory.js
index a6b7acac2b..2ecee8d351 100644
--- a/editcheck/modules/EditCheckFactory.js
+++ b/editcheck/modules/EditCheckFactory.js
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ mw.editcheck.EditCheckFactory.prototype.createAllByListener = function ( listene
 	const newChecks = [];
 	this.getNamesByListener( listener ).forEach( ( checkName ) => {
 		const check = this.create( checkName, mw.editcheck.config[ checkName ] );
+		if ( !check.canBeShown() ) {
+			return;
+		}
 		const actions = check[ listener ]( diff );
 		if ( actions.length > 0 ) {
 			ve.batchPush( newChecks, actions );
diff --git a/editcheck/modules/init.js b/editcheck/modules/init.js
index 48b0f29df7..c8e35d66e3 100644
--- a/editcheck/modules/init.js
+++ b/editcheck/modules/init.js
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ require( './EditCheckAction.js' );
 require( './BaseEditCheck.js' );
 
 mw.editcheck.accountShouldSeeEditCheck = function ( config ) {
+	if ( mw.editcheck.ecenable ) {
+		return true;
+	}
 	// account status:
 	// loggedin, loggedout, or any-other-value meaning 'both'
 	// we'll count temporary users as "logged out" by using isNamed here
@@ -26,9 +29,7 @@ mw.editcheck.accountShouldSeeEditCheck = function ( config ) {
 // TODO: Load these checks behind feature flags
 // require( './ConvertReferenceEditCheck.js' );
 // require( './TextMatchEditCheck.js' );
-if ( mw.editcheck.accountShouldSeeEditCheck( mw.editcheck.config.addReference ) || mw.editcheck.ecenable ) {
-	require( './AddReferenceEditCheck.js' );
-}
+require( './AddReferenceEditCheck.js' );
 
 /**
  * Return the content ranges (content branch node interiors) contained within a range
@@ -104,7 +105,9 @@ mw.editcheck.Diff.prototype.getModifiedRanges = function ( coveredNodesOnly ) {
 };
 
 mw.editcheck.hasAddedContentNeedingReference = function ( surface, includeReferencedContent ) {
-	// helper for ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget save-tagging, keep logic below in-sync with AddReferenceEditCheck
+	// helper for ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget save-tagging, keep logic below in-sync with AddReferenceEditCheck.
+	// This is bypassing the normal "should this check apply?" logic for creation, so we need to manually
+	// apply the "only the main namespace" rule.
 	if ( mw.config.get( 'wgNamespaceNumber' ) !== mw.config.get( 'wgNamespaceIds' )[ '' ] ) {
 		return false;
 	}