diff --git a/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml b/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml
index 068ba5862b57660c97ec0dd43f1a8e04e388b6fd..3e25452b04f21fd2eef859fd1dbf4129ae7dd986 100644
--- a/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml
+++ b/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml
@@ -73,8 +73,11 @@ spec:
 ---
 workflow:
   rules:
-    # prevent branch pipeline when an MR is open (prefer MR pipeline)
-    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH && $CI_OPEN_MERGE_REQUESTS'
+    # prevent MR pipeline originating from production or integration branch(es)
+    - if: '$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME =~ $PROD_REF || $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME =~ $INTEG_REF'
+      when: never
+    # on non-prod, non-integration branches: prefer MR pipeline over branch pipeline
+    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH && $CI_OPEN_MERGE_REQUESTS && $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME !~ $PROD_REF && $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME !~ $INTEG_REF'
       when: never
     - if: '$CI_COMMIT_MESSAGE =~ "/\[(ci skip|skip ci) on ([^],]*,)*tag(,[^],]*)*\]/" && $CI_COMMIT_TAG'
       when: never