diff --git a/.github/template_gitref b/.github/template_gitref
index 22e8d0a9..2bfd614b 100644
--- a/.github/template_gitref
+++ b/.github/template_gitref
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2021.08.26-406-g5f397e3
+2021.08.26-411-g6a2035a
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr_checks.yml b/.github/workflows/pr_checks.yml
index 2a901608..6b50c7cd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr_checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr_checks.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,13 @@
 name: "File PR static checks"
 on:
   pull_request_target:
-    types: ["opened", "synchronize", "reopened"]
+    types:
+      - "opened"
+      - "synchronize"
+      - "reopened"
+    branches:
+      - "main"
+      - "[0-9]+.[0-9]+"
 
 # This workflow runs with elevated permissions.
 # Do not even think about running a single bit of code from the PR.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update_ci.yml b/.github/workflows/update_ci.yml
index 472e1a76..85ede435 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update_ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update_ci.yml
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: "Create Pull Request for CI files"
         uses: "peter-evans/create-pull-request@v6"
+        id: "create_pr_main"
         with:
           token: "${{ secrets.RELEASE_TOKEN }}"
           path: "pulp_file"
@@ -65,6 +66,14 @@ jobs:
           branch: "update-ci/main"
           base: "main"
           delete-branch: true
+      - name: "Experiment: Mark PR automerge"
+        working-directory: "pulp_file"
+        run: |
+          gh pr merge --rebase --auto "${{ steps.create_pr_main.outputs.pull-request-number }}"
+        if: "steps.create_pr_main.outputs.pull-request-number"
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: "${{ secrets.RELEASE_TOKEN }}"
+        continue-on-error: true
       - uses: "actions/checkout@v4"
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
@@ -78,6 +87,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: "Create Pull Request for CI files"
         uses: "peter-evans/create-pull-request@v6"
+        id: "create_pr_1_10"
         with:
           token: "${{ secrets.RELEASE_TOKEN }}"
           path: "pulp_file"
@@ -87,6 +97,14 @@ jobs:
           branch: "update-ci/1.10"
           base: "1.10"
           delete-branch: true
+      - name: "Experiment: Mark PR automerge"
+        working-directory: "pulp_file"
+        run: |
+          gh pr merge --rebase --auto "${{ steps.create_pr_1_10.outputs.pull-request-number }}"
+        if: "steps.create_pr_1_10.outputs.pull-request-number"
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: "${{ secrets.RELEASE_TOKEN }}"
+        continue-on-error: true
       - uses: "actions/checkout@v4"
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
@@ -100,6 +118,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: "Create Pull Request for CI files"
         uses: "peter-evans/create-pull-request@v6"
+        id: "create_pr_1_11"
         with:
           token: "${{ secrets.RELEASE_TOKEN }}"
           path: "pulp_file"
@@ -109,4 +128,12 @@ jobs:
           branch: "update-ci/1.11"
           base: "1.11"
           delete-branch: true
+      - name: "Experiment: Mark PR automerge"
+        working-directory: "pulp_file"
+        run: |
+          gh pr merge --rebase --auto "${{ steps.create_pr_1_11.outputs.pull-request-number }}"
+        if: "steps.create_pr_1_11.outputs.pull-request-number"
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: "${{ secrets.RELEASE_TOKEN }}"
+        continue-on-error: true
 ...