diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 82f826e6ff37085fa48b687d41e41c011948e034..7aff1b478a5de720aa0e5348cdd2ede69fc52f19 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ stages:
   tags:
     - ivas-linux
 
+.build-job-linux:
+  extends: .test-job
+  stage: build
+  timeout: "2 minutes"
+  tags:
+    - ivas-linux
+
+
 # template for test jobs on linux that need the TESTV_DIR
 .test-job-linux-needs-testv-dir:
   extends: .test-job-linux
@@ -40,7 +48,7 @@ stages:
 
 # template for build jobs to include the check for warnings
 .build-job-with-check-for-warnings:
-  extends: .test-job-linux
+  extends: .build-job-linux
   stage: build
   allow_failure:
     exit_codes:
@@ -87,7 +95,6 @@ build-codec-linux-cmake:
   extends: .build-job-with-check-for-warnings
   rules:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
-  stage: build
   script:
     - mkdir build
     - cd build
@@ -98,19 +105,17 @@ build-codec-linux-cmake:
     - ci/check_for_warnings.py $BUILD_OUTPUT || exit $?
 
 build-codec-instrumented-linux:
-  extends: .test-job-linux
+  extends: .build-job-linux
   rules:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
-  stage: build
   script:
     - bash ci/build_codec_instrumented_linux.sh
 
 # make sure that the codec builds with msan, asan and usan
 build-codec-sanitizers-linux:
-  extends: .test-job-linux
+  extends: .build-job-linux
   rules:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
-  stage: build
   script:
     - bash ci/build_codec_sanitizers_linux.sh
 
@@ -120,7 +125,8 @@ codec-smoke-test:
   extends: .test-job-linux-needs-testv-dir
   # temporarily restrict this job to the only runner which (so far) seems to runit without problems
   tags:
-    - test-fhg-linux-runner1
+    - smoke-test
+  timeout: "5 minutes"
   rules:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
   stage: test
@@ -142,6 +148,7 @@ self-test-on-merge-request:
   needs: [ "build-codec-linux-cmake", "codec-smoke-test" ]
   rules:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
+  timeout: "10 minutes"
   script:
     ### build test binaries, initial clean for paranoia reasons
     - make clean