diff --git a/support/scripts/generate-gitlab-ci-yml b/support/scripts/generate-gitlab-ci-yml
index faa52e85b2..3f498e08fd 100755
--- a/support/scripts/generate-gitlab-ci-yml
+++ b/support/scripts/generate-gitlab-ci-yml
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@ main() {
     local template="${1}"
 
     preamble "${template}"
-
-    gen_basics
-    gen_defconfigs
     gen_tests
 }
 
@@ -24,91 +21,85 @@ preamble() {
 _EOF_
 }
 
-gen_basics() {
-    local tst
+gen_tests() {
+    local -a basics defconfigs runtimes
+    local do_basics do_defconfigs do_runtime
+    local defconfigs_ext cfg tst
 
-    # Skip basic tests when explicitly building defconfigs or runtime tests
-    case "${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}" in
-        (*-defconfigs)      return;;
-        (*-*_defconfig)     return;;
-        (*-runtime-tests)   return;;
-        (*-tests.*)         return;;
-    esac
-
-    for tst in DEVELOPERS flake8 package; do
-        printf 'check-%s: { extends: .check-%s_base }\n' "${tst}" "${tst}"
-    done
-}
-
-gen_defconfigs() {
-    local -a defconfigs
-    local template cfg ext
+    basics=( DEVELOPERS flake8 package )
 
     defconfigs=( $(cd configs; LC_ALL=C ls -1 *_defconfig) )
 
+    runtimes=( $(./support/testing/run-tests -l 2>&1 \
+                 | sed -r -e '/^test_run \((.*)\).*/!d; s//\1/' \
+                 | LC_ALL=C sort)
+             )
+
     if [ -n "${CI_COMMIT_TAG}" ]; then
-        # For tags, create a pipeline.
-        template=base
-    elif [ -n "${CI_PIPELINE_TRIGGERED}" ]; then
-        # For pipeline created by using a trigger token.
-        template=base
+        do_basics=true
+        do_defconfigs=base
+        do_runtime=true
+    elif [ "${CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE}" = "trigger" ]; then
+        case "${BR_SCHEDULE_JOBS}" in
+          (basic)
+            do_basics=true
+            do_defconfigs=check
+            defconfigs_ext=_check
+            ;;
+          (defconfig)
+            do_defconfigs=base
+            ;;
+          (runtime)
+            do_runtime=true
+            ;;
+        esac
     else
         case "${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}" in
-            # For master, next, and maintenance branches, only check the defconfigs
-            (master|next|????.??.x)
-                template=check
-                ext=_check
+          (*-basics)
+            do_basics=true
+            do_defconfigs=check
+            defconfigs_ext=_check
             ;;
-            # For the branch or tag name named *-defconfigs, create a pipeline.
-            (*-defconfigs)
-                template=base
+          (*-defconfigs)
+            do_defconfigs=base
             ;;
-            (*-*_defconfig)
-                defconfigs=( "${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME##*-}" )
-                template=base
+          (*-*_defconfig)
+            defconfigs=( "${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME##*-}" )
+            do_defconfigs=base
+            ;;
+          (*-runtime-tests)
+            do_runtime=true
+            ;;
+          (*-tests.*)
+            runtimes=( "${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME##*-}" )
+            do_runtime=true
             ;;
         esac
     fi
 
-    if [ -n "${template}" ]; then
-        for cfg in "${defconfigs[@]}"; do
-            printf '%s%s: { extends: .defconfig_%s }\n' \
-                   "${cfg}" "${ext}" "${template}"
+    # If nothing else, at least do the basics to generate a valid pipeline
+    if [    -z "${do_defconfigs}" \
+         -a -z "${do_runtime}" \
+       ]
+    then
+        do_basics=true
+    fi
+
+    if ${do_basics:-false}; then
+        for tst in "${basics[@]}"; do
+            printf 'check-%s: { extends: .check-%s_base }\n' "${tst}" "${tst}"
         done
     fi
-}
 
-gen_tests() {
-    local -a tests
-    local run_tests tst
-
-    tests=( $(./support/testing/run-tests -l 2>&1 \
-              | sed -r -e '/^test_run \((.*)\).*/!d; s//\1/'\
-              | LC_ALL=C sort)
-          )
-
-    run_tests=false
-    if [ -n "${CI_COMMIT_TAG}" ]; then
-        # For tags, create a pipeline.
-        run_tests=true
-    elif [ -n "${CI_PIPELINE_TRIGGERED}" ]; then
-        # For pipeline created by using a trigger token.
-        run_tests=true
-    else
-        case "${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}" in
-            # For the branch or tag name named *-runtime-tests, create a pipeline.
-            (*-runtime-tests)
-                run_tests=true
-            ;;
-            (*-tests.*)
-                tests=( "${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME##*-}" )
-                run_tests=true
-            ;;
-        esac
+    if [ -n "${do_defconfigs}" ]; then
+        for cfg in "${defconfigs[@]}"; do
+            printf '%s%s: { extends: .defconfig_%s }\n' \
+                   "${cfg}" "${defconfigs_ext}" "${do_defconfigs}"
+        done
     fi
 
-    if ${run_tests}; then
-        printf '%s: { extends: .runtime_test_base }\n' "${tests[@]}"
+    if ${do_runtime:-false}; then
+        printf '%s: { extends: .runtime_test_base }\n' "${runtimes[@]}"
     fi
 }