diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners.yml
index 0d3e4a7b4b..bcd22ca293 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ variables:
 # setup by the scripts/ci/setup/build-environment.yml task
 # "Install basic packages to build QEMU on Ubuntu 18.04/20.04"
 ubuntu-18.04-s390x-all-linux-static:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -37,7 +36,6 @@ ubuntu-18.04-s390x-all-linux-static:
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc` check-tcg V=1
 
 ubuntu-18.04-s390x-all:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -54,7 +52,6 @@ ubuntu-18.04-s390x-all:
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc` check V=1
 
 ubuntu-18.04-s390x-alldbg:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -62,7 +59,9 @@ ubuntu-18.04-s390x-alldbg:
  - s390x
  rules:
  - if: '$CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE == "qemu-project" && $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^staging/'
+   when: manual
  - if: "$S390X_RUNNER_AVAILABLE"
+   when: manual
  script:
  - mkdir build
  - cd build
@@ -72,7 +71,6 @@ ubuntu-18.04-s390x-alldbg:
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc` check V=1
 
 ubuntu-18.04-s390x-clang:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -91,7 +89,6 @@ ubuntu-18.04-s390x-clang:
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc` check V=1
 
 ubuntu-18.04-s390x-tci:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -99,7 +96,9 @@ ubuntu-18.04-s390x-tci:
  - s390x
  rules:
  - if: '$CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE == "qemu-project" && $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^staging/'
+   when: manual
  - if: "$S390X_RUNNER_AVAILABLE"
+   when: manual
  script:
  - mkdir build
  - cd build
@@ -107,7 +106,6 @@ ubuntu-18.04-s390x-tci:
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc`
 
 ubuntu-18.04-s390x-notcg:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -129,7 +127,6 @@ ubuntu-18.04-s390x-notcg:
 # setup by the scripts/ci/setup/qemu/build-environment.yml task
 # "Install basic packages to build QEMU on Ubuntu 18.04/20.04"
 ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-all-linux-static:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -149,7 +146,6 @@ ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-all-linux-static:
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc` check-tcg V=1
 
 ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-all:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -157,7 +153,9 @@ ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-all:
  - aarch64
  rules:
  - if: '$CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE == "qemu-project" && $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^staging/'
+   when: manual
  - if: "$AARCH64_RUNNER_AVAILABLE"
+   when: manual
  script:
  - mkdir build
  - cd build
@@ -166,7 +164,6 @@ ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-all:
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc` check V=1
 
 ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-alldbg:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -184,7 +181,6 @@ ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-alldbg:
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc` check V=1
 
 ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-clang:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -203,7 +199,6 @@ ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-clang:
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc` check V=1
 
 ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-tci:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags:
@@ -211,7 +206,9 @@ ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-tci:
  - aarch64
  rules:
  - if: '$CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE == "qemu-project" && $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^staging/'
+   when: manual
  - if: "$AARCH64_RUNNER_AVAILABLE"
+   when: manual
  script:
  - mkdir build
  - cd build
@@ -219,7 +216,6 @@ ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-tci:
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc`
 
 ubuntu-20.04-aarch64-notcg:
- allow_failure: true
  needs: []
  stage: build
  tags: