diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index b665708adc74d74fc083cad7b495c02b069354ce..5148ca33c15932abaa2d9824763cef26499ff17d 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ variables:
 # normal multi-step pipeline for each commit
 stages:
   - config
+  - quality
   - build_test
   - optional
 
@@ -51,6 +52,24 @@ config-clang-8:
        - build
        - corsika-data
 
+check-copyrights:
+  image: corsika/devel:u-18.04
+  stage: quality
+  tags:
+    - corsika
+  script:
+    - ./do-copyright.py
+
+check-clang-format:
+  image: corsika/devel:u-18.04
+  before_script:
+  - apt-get update && apt-get install -y -qq clang-format
+  stage: quality
+  tags:
+    - corsika
+  script:
+    - ./do-clang-format.py --all
+
 # normal pipeline for each commit
 build-test-u-18_04: 
   image: corsika/devel:u-18.04
@@ -225,20 +244,3 @@ sanity:
   when: manual
   allow_failure: true
 
-check-copyrights:
-  image: corsika/devel:u-18.04
-  stage: optional
-  tags:
-    - corsika
-  script:
-    - ./do-copyright.py
-
-check-clang-format:
-  image: corsika/devel:u-18.04
-  before_script:
-  - apt-get update && apt-get install -y -qq clang-format
-  stage: optional
-  tags:
-    - corsika
-  script:
-    - ./do-clang-format.py --all