diff --git a/templates/gitlab-ci-openshift.yml b/templates/gitlab-ci-openshift.yml
index 380e5a1a5505926162f3da2b82bdcbf17166cff9..1195fea77a1a3a2efc3754fb59aa5cbcb75b2d7e 100644
--- a/templates/gitlab-ci-openshift.yml
+++ b/templates/gitlab-ci-openshift.yml
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@
 # program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth 
 # Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 # =========================================================================================
-# default workflow rules
+# default workflow rules: Merge Request pipelines
 workflow:
   rules:
-    # exclude merge requests
-    - if: $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_ID
+    # prevent branch pipeline when an MR is open (prefer MR pipeline)
+    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH && $CI_OPEN_MERGE_REQUESTS'
       when: never
     - when: always