diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/kubevirt.yml b/.gitlab-ci/kubevirt.yml
index f8e1fb427..8045547e6 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/kubevirt.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/kubevirt.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ pr:
       allow_failure: true
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^pr-.*$/
       when: on_success
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" && $CI_PIPELINE_SCHEDULE_DESCRIPTION == "daily-ci"
+      when: on_success
     - when: manual
       allow_failure: true
   extends: .kubevirt
@@ -63,6 +65,8 @@ ubuntu20-calico-all-in-one:
   rules:
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^pr-.*$/
       when: on_success
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" && $CI_PIPELINE_SCHEDULE_DESCRIPTION == "daily-ci"
+      when: on_success
     - when: manual
       allow_failure: true
 
@@ -72,6 +76,8 @@ pr_full:
   rules:
     - if: $PR_LABELS =~ /.*ci-full.*/
       when: on_success
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" && $CI_PIPELINE_SCHEDULE_DESCRIPTION == "daily-ci"
+      when: on_success
     # Else run as manual
     - when: manual
       allow_failure: true
@@ -108,6 +114,8 @@ pr_extended:
   rules:
     - if: $PR_LABELS =~ /.*(ci-extended|ci-full).*/
       when: on_success
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" && $CI_PIPELINE_SCHEDULE_DESCRIPTION == "daily-ci"
+      when: on_success
     - when: manual
       allow_failure: true
   parallel:
@@ -127,13 +135,13 @@ pr_extended:
           - ubuntu24-all-in-one-docker
           - ubuntu24-calico-all-in-one
 
-# Enabled when PERIODIC_CI_ENABLED var is set
+# TODO: migrate to pr-full, fix the broken ones
 periodic:
-  only:
-    variables:
-      - $PERIODIC_CI_ENABLED
   allow_failure: true
   extends: .kubevirt
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" && $CI_PIPELINE_SCHEDULE_DESCRIPTION == "daily-ci"
+      when: on_success
   parallel:
     matrix:
       - TESTCASE:
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/molecule.yml b/.gitlab-ci/molecule.yml
index 26f1be86b..995aad806 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/molecule.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/molecule.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 ---
 .molecule:
   tags: [ffci]
-  only: [/^pr-.*$/]
-  except: ['triggers']
+  rules: # run on ci-short as well
+  - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^pr-.*$/
+    when: on_success
+  - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" && $CI_PIPELINE_SCHEDULE_DESCRIPTION == "daily-ci"
+    when: on_success
+  - when: manual
+    allow_failure: true
   stage: deploy-part1
   image: $PIPELINE_IMAGE
   needs:
@@ -31,23 +36,17 @@ molecule:
       - bastion-ssh-config
       - bootstrap-os
 
-# CI template for periodic CI jobs
-# Enabled when PERIODIC_CI_ENABLED var is set
 molecule_full:
-  only:
-    variables:
-    - $PERIODIC_CI_ENABLED
   allow_failure: true
+  rules:
+  - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" && $CI_PIPELINE_SCHEDULE_DESCRIPTION == "daily-ci"
+    when: on_success
+  - when: manual
+    allow_failure: true
   extends: molecule
   parallel:
     matrix:
     - ROLE:
-      - container-engine/cri-dockerd
-      - container-engine/containerd
-      - container-engine/cri-o
-      - adduser
-      - bastion-ssh-config
-      - bootstrap-os
       # FIXME : tests below are perma-failing
       - container-engine/kata-containers
       - container-engine/gvisor
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/vagrant.yml b/.gitlab-ci/vagrant.yml
index f8834d71b..173f8301f 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/vagrant.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/vagrant.yml
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ vagrant:
     VAGRANT_HOME: "$CI_PROJECT_DIR/.vagrant.d"
     PIP_CACHE_DIR: "$CI_PROJECT_DIR/.cache/pip"
   tags: [ffci-vm-large]
-  # only: [/^pr-.*$/]
-  # except: ['triggers']
   image: quay.io/kubespray/vm-kubespray-ci:v13
   services: []
   before_script:
@@ -42,6 +40,8 @@ vagrant:
   rules:
     - if: $PR_LABELS =~ /.*(ci-extended|ci-full).*/
       when: on_success
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule" && $CI_PIPELINE_SCHEDULE_DESCRIPTION == "daily-ci"
+      when: on_success
   parallel:
     matrix:
       - TESTCASE: