diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index bbf42dd77f..f4e61cc432 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ workflow:
     - if: $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_IID
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH && $GITLAB_USER_ID != "8866215"
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME =~ /^r[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/ && $GITLAB_USER_ID != "8866215"
 
 include:
   - local: .gitlab/CI/recompile.yml
diff --git a/.gitlab/CI/release.yml b/.gitlab/CI/release.yml
index 4622002b85..6fa6378edd 100644
--- a/.gitlab/CI/release.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/CI/release.yml
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 .optional-release:
   stage: check
   rules:
-    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE != "merge_request_event" || $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" || $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH || $CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ /^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/ || $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME =~ /^r[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE != "merge_request_event" || $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" || $CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ /^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/ || $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME =~ /^r[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/
       when: never
     - when: manual
       allow_failure: true
 
-# Template to only run if pushes to master or a tag happened
+# Template to only run if pushes to master, a version tag, or release branch happened
 .release:
   stage: build
   rules:
@@ -19,6 +19,6 @@
 .release-nightly-tmp-fix-airshipper:
   stage: build-nightly
   rules:
-    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE != "merge_request_event" && $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" && ($CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH || $CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ /^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/ || $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME =~ /^r[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/)
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" && ($CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH || $CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ /^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/ || $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME =~ /^r[0-9]+\.[0-9]+/)
       when: always
     - when: never