diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index d26214ce12888c87395cb447dd2b89308bbbc3c7..1da859b788d10ca1d585c17e7a593a93741cd475 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ variables:
   EXIT_CODE_NON_BE: 123
   EXIT_CODE_FAIL: 1
 
+default:
+  interruptible: true # Make all jobs by default interruptible
 
 # This sets when pipelines are created. Jobs have more specific rules to restrict them.
 workflow:
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ workflow:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' # for testing
 
 stages:
+  - .pre
   - maintenance
   - build
   - test
@@ -168,6 +171,31 @@ stages:
       - 123
 
 
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------
+# .pre jobs for setting up things
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# See: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/194023
+# Solution to make main branch pipelines uninterruptible while all other
+# pipelines can be interrupted by default. This works because all jobs
+# after uninterruptible jobs will be uninterruptible. Resource group
+# setting avoids rare case where two fast merges could still interrupt
+# pipeline. This should be revisited if there are updates to Gitlab.
+uninterruptible:
+  stage: .pre
+  interruptible: false
+  resource_group: uninterruptible
+  script:
+    - echo "$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH is uninterruptible"
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
+      when: always
+  tags:
+    - ivas-linux
+
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
 # Validation jobs
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------