diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index cdd7dbba8572c899c24d3c12388fccd28b710382..979ffa4d69b3134d407c6529e97be54ddf80b49c 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -233,12 +233,8 @@ before_script:
 
 .gce: &gce
   <<: *testcases
-  variables:
-    <<: *gce_variables
 
 .do: &do
-  variables:
-    <<: *do_variables
   <<: *testcases
 
 # Test matrix. Leave the comments for markup scripts.
@@ -340,11 +336,10 @@ before_script:
 
 gce_ubuntu18-flannel-aio:
   stage: deploy-part1
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
-    <<: *ubuntu18_flannel_aio_variables
     <<: *gce_variables
+    <<: *ubuntu18_flannel_aio_variables
   when: on_success
   except: ['triggers']
   only: [/^pr-.*$/]
@@ -353,18 +348,16 @@ gce_ubuntu18-flannel-aio:
 
 gce_coreos-calico-aio:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
-    <<: *coreos_calico_aio_variables
     <<: *gce_variables
+    <<: *coreos_calico_aio_variables
   when: on_success
   except: ['triggers']
   only: [/^pr-.*$/]
 
 gce_centos7-flannel-addons:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -377,7 +370,6 @@ gce_centos7-flannel-addons:
 
 gce_centos-weave-kubeadm-sep:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -387,7 +379,6 @@ gce_centos-weave-kubeadm-sep:
 
 gce_ubuntu-weave-sep:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -397,7 +388,6 @@ gce_ubuntu-weave-sep:
 
 gce_coreos-calico-sep-triggers:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -407,7 +397,6 @@ gce_coreos-calico-sep-triggers:
 
 gce_ubuntu-canal-ha-triggers:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -417,7 +406,6 @@ gce_ubuntu-canal-ha-triggers:
 
 gce_centos7-flannel-addons-triggers:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -427,7 +415,6 @@ gce_centos7-flannel-addons-triggers:
 
 gce_ubuntu-weave-sep-triggers:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -438,7 +425,6 @@ gce_ubuntu-weave-sep-triggers:
 # More builds for PRs/merges (manual) and triggers (auto)
 do_ubuntu-canal-ha:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *do
   variables:
     <<: *do_variables
@@ -448,7 +434,6 @@ do_ubuntu-canal-ha:
 
 gce_ubuntu-canal-ha:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -459,7 +444,6 @@ gce_ubuntu-canal-ha:
 
 gce_ubuntu-canal-kubeadm:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -470,7 +454,6 @@ gce_ubuntu-canal-kubeadm:
 
 gce_ubuntu-canal-kubeadm-triggers:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -480,7 +463,6 @@ gce_ubuntu-canal-kubeadm-triggers:
 
 gce_ubuntu-flannel-ha:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -490,7 +472,6 @@ gce_ubuntu-flannel-ha:
 
 gce_centos-weave-kubeadm-triggers:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -500,7 +481,6 @@ gce_centos-weave-kubeadm-triggers:
 
 gce_ubuntu-contiv-sep:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -511,7 +491,6 @@ gce_ubuntu-contiv-sep:
 
 gce_coreos-cilium:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -522,7 +501,6 @@ gce_coreos-cilium:
 
 gce_ubuntu-cilium-sep:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -533,7 +511,6 @@ gce_ubuntu-cilium-sep:
 
 gce_rhel7-weave:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -544,7 +521,6 @@ gce_rhel7-weave:
 
 gce_rhel7-weave-triggers:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -554,7 +530,6 @@ gce_rhel7-weave-triggers:
 
 gce_debian9-calico-upgrade:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -565,7 +540,6 @@ gce_debian9-calico-upgrade:
 
 gce_debian9-calico-triggers:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -575,7 +549,6 @@ gce_debian9-calico-triggers:
 
 gce_coreos-canal:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -586,7 +559,6 @@ gce_coreos-canal:
 
 gce_coreos-canal-triggers:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -596,7 +568,6 @@ gce_coreos-canal-triggers:
 
 gce_rhel7-canal-sep:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -607,7 +578,6 @@ gce_rhel7-canal-sep:
 
 gce_rhel7-canal-sep-triggers:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -617,7 +587,6 @@ gce_rhel7-canal-sep-triggers:
 
 gce_centos7-calico-ha:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -628,7 +597,6 @@ gce_centos7-calico-ha:
 
 gce_centos7-calico-ha-triggers:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -638,7 +606,6 @@ gce_centos7-calico-ha-triggers:
 
 gce_centos7-kube-router:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -649,7 +616,6 @@ gce_centos7-kube-router:
 
 gce_centos7-multus-calico:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -660,7 +626,6 @@ gce_centos7-multus-calico:
 
 gce_opensuse-canal:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -672,7 +637,6 @@ gce_opensuse-canal:
 # no triggers yet https://github.com/kubernetes-incubator/kargo/issues/613
 gce_coreos-alpha-weave-ha:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -683,7 +647,6 @@ gce_coreos-alpha-weave-ha:
 
 gce_coreos-kube-router:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -694,7 +657,6 @@ gce_coreos-kube-router:
 
 gce_ubuntu-rkt-sep:
   stage: deploy-part2
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables
@@ -705,7 +667,6 @@ gce_ubuntu-rkt-sep:
 
 gce_ubuntu-kube-router-sep:
   stage: deploy-special
-  <<: *job
   <<: *gce
   variables:
     <<: *gce_variables