diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 147eb7c00faf051ae25eea5d43422e2ee947d5bd..3487ad701a52deea3e4fb6cfc0e10cd147e19538 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -304,6 +304,8 @@ stages:
 
 .rules-mr-to-main-or-main-pc-or-manual:
   rules:
+    - if: $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE =~ /^(\[Draft\]|\(Draft\)|Draft:)/
+      when: never
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == "pytest-compare"
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' && ($CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main" || $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main-pc")
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
@@ -373,9 +375,20 @@ stages:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
       when: never
 
+.rules-merge-request-no-draft:
+  extends: .rules-basis
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE =~ /^(\[Draft\]|\(Draft\)|Draft:)/
+      when: never
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event'
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
+      when: never
+
 .rules-merge-request-to-main-pc:
   extends: .rules-basis
   rules:
+    - if: $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE =~ /^(\[Draft\]|\(Draft\)|Draft:)/
+      when: never
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' && $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == 'main-pc'
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
       when: never
@@ -777,6 +790,19 @@ branch-is-up-to-date-with-target-post:
         exit 1
       fi
 
+# fail pipeline in the final stage for pipelines on Draft MRs
+# this also only runs on Draft MRs, so should always fail
+fail-pipeline-if-in-draft:
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' && $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE =~ /^(\[Draft\]|\(Draft\)|Draft:)/
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'push'
+      when: never
+  stage: postvalidate
+  tags:
+    - ivas-linux
+  script:
+    - echo "Your MR is still in Draft state, set it to ready to be mergable, then retrigger the pipeline."
+    - exit 1
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
 # verification jobs
@@ -1376,6 +1402,8 @@ be-2-evs-26444:
   extends:
     - .test-job-linux
   rules:
+    - if: $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE =~ /^(\[Draft\]|\(Draft\)|Draft:)/
+      when: never
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'web' && $MANUAL_PIPELINE_TYPE == "evs-26444"
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' && ($CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main" || $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main-pc")
   tags:
@@ -1451,7 +1479,7 @@ voip-be-on-merge-request:
 .codec-smoke-test:
   extends:
     - .test-job-linux-needs-testv-dir
-    - .rules-merge-request
+    - .rules-merge-request-no-draft
   timeout: "20 minutes"
   tags:
     - ivas-basop-linux