diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 419479540f..48d1fb4351 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -324,6 +324,7 @@ commitlint:
 .gtk-build-rules:
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - ".gitlab-ci.yml"
           - "meson.build"
@@ -360,9 +361,11 @@ commitlint:
   rules:
     - !reference [.upstream-branch-rules, rules]
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           *modules_changes
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "subprojects/gstreamer-vaapi/**/*"
 
@@ -482,9 +485,11 @@ build debian x86_64:
     - !reference [.gtk-build-rules, rules]
     - !reference [.upstream-branch-rules, rules]
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           *modules_changes
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "subprojects/win-*/*"
   script:
@@ -605,9 +610,11 @@ build macos:
     - !reference [.gtk-build-rules, rules]
     - !reference [.upstream-branch-rules, rules]
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           *modules_changes
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "subprojects/macos-*/*"
   parallel:
@@ -654,6 +661,7 @@ build macos:
     PYTHONFAULTHANDLER: "enabled"
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           *modules_changes
   script:
@@ -692,9 +700,11 @@ check fedora:
     TEST_SUITE: "check.gst*"
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           *modules_changes
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "subprojects/gstreamer-vaapi/**/*"
 
@@ -744,6 +754,7 @@ check video formats:
     - $CI_PROJECT_DIR/ci/scripts/check-video-formats.sh
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "${VIDEO_HEADER}"
           - "${WL_HEADER}"
@@ -837,6 +848,7 @@ fluster v4l2-stateless on visl:
       junit: build/fluster-results-*.xml
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - ".gitlab-ci.yml"
           - ".gitlab-image-tags.yml"
@@ -856,9 +868,11 @@ fluster v4l2-stateless on visl:
     EXTRA_VALIDATE_ARGS: "--valgrind"
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           *modules_changes
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "subprojects/gstreamer-vaapi/**/*"
 
@@ -868,6 +882,7 @@ valgrind core:
     TEST_SUITE: "check.gstreamer\\..*"
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "*"
           - "scripts/*"
@@ -881,6 +896,7 @@ valgrind base:
     TEST_SUITE: "check.gst-plugins-base\\..*"
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "*"
           - "scripts/*"
@@ -897,6 +913,7 @@ valgrind good:
     TIMEOUT_FACTOR: "4"
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "*"
           - "scripts/*"
@@ -912,6 +929,7 @@ valgrind ugly:
     TEST_SUITE: "check.gst-plugins-ugly\\..*"
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "*"
           - "scripts/*"
@@ -928,6 +946,7 @@ valgrind bad:
     TEST_SUITE: "check.gst-plugins-bad\\..*"
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "*"
           - "scripts/*"
@@ -944,6 +963,7 @@ valgrind ges:
     TEST_SUITE: "check.gst-editing-services\\..*"
   rules:
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - "*"
           - "scripts/*"
@@ -1015,6 +1035,7 @@ build documentation:
     - if: '$CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE == "gstreamer" && $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH'
       when: never
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - ".gitlab-ci.yml"
           - ".gitlab-image-tags.yml"
@@ -1054,6 +1075,7 @@ cerbero trigger:
     - if: '$CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE == "gstreamer" && $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH'
       when: never
     - changes:
+        compare_to: "$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
         paths:
           - ".gitlab-ci.yml"
           - "ci/gitlab/*.py"