diff --git a/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master.yaml b/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master.yaml
index eb81d65301499..775817195519a 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master.yaml
@@ -100,8 +100,9 @@ tests:
       GKE_CLUSTER_VERSION: latest
       TEST_SUITE: gke-ui-e2e-tests
     workflow: stackrox-stackrox-e2e-job
-- always_run: true
+- always_run: false
   as: gke-nongroovy-e2e-tests
+  optional: true
   steps:
     env:
       COLLECTION_METHOD: core_bpf
diff --git a/ci-operator/jobs/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master-presubmits.yaml b/ci-operator/jobs/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master-presubmits.yaml
index 66e7d948c8301..b4dbf61def706 100644
--- a/ci-operator/jobs/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master-presubmits.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/jobs/stackrox/stackrox/stackrox-stackrox-master-presubmits.yaml
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ presubmits:
           secretName: result-aggregator
     trigger: (?m)^/test( | .* )gke-nongroovy-compatibility-tests,?($|\s.*)
   - agent: kubernetes
-    always_run: true
+    always_run: false
     branches:
     - ^master$
     - ^master-
@@ -743,6 +743,7 @@ presubmits:
       ci.openshift.io/generator: prowgen
       pj-rehearse.openshift.io/can-be-rehearsed: "true"
     name: pull-ci-stackrox-stackrox-master-gke-nongroovy-e2e-tests
+    optional: true
     rerun_command: /test gke-nongroovy-e2e-tests
     spec:
       containers: