diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 0991fd76752f471f1b834b3a195a9f65bbf50648..1a07ec6bab327fbd85c00f870da3f9210a546132 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -59,22 +59,6 @@ pre vars:
     reports:
       dotenv: variables.env
   script:
-  # obtain MR and master versions
-  - CHART_MR_VERSION=$(sed -n -e 's/^version. //p' chart/Chart.yaml)
-  - git fetch && git checkout ${CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
-  - CHART_MA_VERSION=$(sed -n -e 's/^version. //p' chart/Chart.yaml)
-  - git fetch && git checkout ${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}
-  - echo "CHART_MR_VERSION=$CHART_MR_VERSION" >> variables.env
-  - echo "CHART_MA_VERSION=$CHART_MA_VERSION" >> variables.env
-  - CHART_VERSION_DIFF=$(./scripts/semver_diff.sh $CHART_MR_VERSION $CHART_MA_VERSION)
-  - IFS=. DIFF_ARR=(${CHART_VERSION_DIFF##*-})
-  - echo "CHART_VERSION_DIFF=$CHART_VERSION_DIFF" >> variables.env
-  # detect breaking change (first two version sections in semver diff)
-  - CHART_BREAKING_CHANGE="false"
-  - if (( ${DIFF_ARR[0]} > 0 )); then CHART_BREAKING_CHANGE="true"; fi
-  - if (( ${DIFF_ARR[1]} > 0 )); then CHART_BREAKING_CHANGE="true"; fi
-  # store variables
-  - echo "CHART_BREAKING_CHANGE=$CHART_BREAKING_CHANGE" >> variables.env
   # Create the TF_VAR_env variable
   - echo "TF_VAR_env=$(echo $CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG | cut -c 1-7)-$(echo $CI_COMMIT_SHA | cut -c 1-7)" >> variables.env
   - cat variables.env
@@ -143,8 +127,8 @@ upgrade:
   extends:
     - .k3d-ci
   rules:
-    # skip job when MR title starts with 'Breaking Change'
-    - if: '$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE =~ /^Breaking Change/'
+    # skip job when MR title starts with 'SKIP UPGRADE'
+    - if: '$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE =~ /^SKIP UPGRADE/'
       when: never
     # run pipeline on merge request events
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"
@@ -152,7 +136,6 @@ upgrade:
   variables:
     CLUSTER_NAME: "upgrade-${CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA}"
   script:
-    - if $CHART_BREAKING_CHANGE; then echo "Breaking change detected by chart version difference, skipping job"; exit 0; fi
     - echo "Install Big Bang from ${CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH}"
     - git fetch && git checkout ${CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
     - *deploy_bigbang