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Merge request dependencies

DETAILS: Tier: Premium, Ultimate Offering: GitLab.com, Self-managed, GitLab Dedicated

  • Support for complex merge dependencies introduced in GitLab 16.6 with a flag named remove_mr_blocking_constraints. Disabled by default.
  • Support for complex merge dependencies generally available in GitLab 16.7. Feature flag remove_mr_blocking_constraints removed.

A single feature can span several merge requests, spread out across multiple projects, and the order in which the work merges can be significant. Use merge request dependencies when it's important to merge work in a specific order. Some examples:

  • Ensure changes to a required library are merged before changes to a project that imports the library.
  • Prevent a documentation-only merge request from merging before the feature work is itself merged.
  • Require a merge request updating a permissions matrix to merge, before merging work from someone who hasn't yet been granted permissions.

If your project me/myexample imports a library from myfriend/library, you might want to update your project to use a new feature in myfriend/library. However, if you merge changes to your project before the external library adds the new feature, you would break the default branch in your project. A merge request dependency prevents your work from merging too soon:

%%{init: { "fontFamily": "GitLab Sans" }}%%

graph TB
  accTitle: Merge request dependencies
  accDescr: Shows how a merge request dependency prevents work from merging too soon.
  A['me/myexample' project]
  B['myfriend/library' project]
  C[Merge request #1:<br>Create new version 2.5]
  D[Merge request #2:<br>Add version 2.5<br>to build]
  A-->|contains| D
  B---->|contains| C
  D-.->|depends on| C
  C-.->|blocks| D

You could mark your me/myexample merge request as a draft and explain why in the comments. However, this approach is manual and does not scale, especially if your merge request relies on several others in multiple projects. Instead, use the draft (or ready) state to track the readiness of an individual merge request, and a merge request dependency to enforce merge order.

NOTE: Merge request dependencies are a PREMIUM feature, but this restriction is enforced only for the dependent merge request. A merge request in a PREMIUM project can depend on a merge request in a FREE project, but a merge request in a FREE project cannot be marked as dependent.

Nested dependencies

Indirect, nested dependencies are supported in GitLab 16.7 and later. A single merge request can be blocked by up to 10 merge requests, and, in turn, can block up to 10 merge requests. In this example, myfriend/library!10 depends on herfriend/another-lib!1, which in turn depends on mycorp/example!100:

%%{init: { "fontFamily": "GitLab Sans" }}%%

graph LR;
    accTitle: Merge request dependency chain
    accDescr: Flowchart that shows how merge request A depends on merge request B, while merge request B depends on merge request C
    A[myfriend/library!10]-->|depends on| B[herfriend/another-lib!1]
    B-->|depends on| C[mycorp/example!100]

Nested dependencies do not display in the GitLab UI, but UI support has been proposed in epic 5308.

NOTE: A merge request can't be made dependent on itself (self-referential), but it's possible to create circular dependencies.

View dependencies for a merge request

If a merge request is dependent on another, the merge request reports section shows information about the dependency:

Dependencies in merge request widget

To view dependency information on a merge request:

  1. On the left sidebar, select Search or go to and find your project.
  2. Select Code > Merge requests and identify your merge request.
  3. Scroll to the merge request reports area. Dependent merge requests display information about the total number of dependencies set, such as (status-warning) Depends on 1 merge request being merged.
  4. Select Expand to view the title, milestone, assignee, and pipeline status of each dependency.

Until your merge request's dependencies all merge, your merge request cannot be merged. The message Merge blocked: you can only merge after the above items are resolved displays.

Closed merge requests

Closed merge requests still prevent their dependents from being merged, because a merge request can close regardless of whether or not the planned work actually merged.

If a merge request closes and the dependency is no longer relevant, remove it as a dependency to unblock the dependent merge request.

Create a new dependent merge request

When you create a new merge request, you can prevent it from merging until after other specific work merges, even if the merge request is in a different project.

Prerequisites:

  • You must have at least the Developer role or be allowed to create merge requests in the project.
  • The dependent merge request must be in a project in the Premium or Ultimate tier.

To create a new merge request and mark it as dependent on another:

  1. Create a new merge request.
  2. In Merge request dependencies, paste either the reference or the full URL to the merge requests that should merge before this work merges. References are in the form of path/to/project!merge_request_id.
  3. Select Create merge request.

Edit a merge request to add a dependency

You can edit an existing merge request and mark it as dependent on another.

Prerequisites:

  • You must have at least the Developer role or be allowed to edit merge requests in the project.

To do this:

  1. On the left sidebar, select Search or go to and find your project.
  2. Select Code > Merge requests and identify your merge request.
  3. Select Edit.
  4. In Merge request dependencies, paste either the reference or the full URL to the merge requests that should merge before this work merges. References are in the form of path/to/project!merge_request_id.

Remove a dependency from a merge request

You can edit a dependent merge request and remove a dependency.

Prerequisites:

  • You must have a role in the project that allows you to edit merge requests.

  1. On the left sidebar, select Search or go to and find your project.

  2. Select Code > Merge requests and identify your merge request.

  3. Select Edit.

  4. Scroll to Merge request dependencies and select Remove next to the reference for each dependency you want to remove.

    NOTE: Dependencies for merge requests you don't have access to are displayed as 1 inaccessible merge request, and can be removed the same way.

  5. Select Save changes.

Troubleshooting

API support for managing merge request dependencies

No API support exists for managing dependencies. For more information, read issue #12551.

Preserving dependencies on project import or export

Dependencies are not preserved when projects are imported or exported. For more information, read issue #12549.