diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 64de32b3bfc4f7c455a1ca938577ea56f339c6e8..6e7127f9cd8f901cbb630914c90018dace4ea905 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -144,10 +144,8 @@ eva-domains:
   <<: *eva_template
   <<: *eva_domains
   only:
-    refs:
-      - merge_requests
     variables:
-      - $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_LABELS =~ /.*,?Eva,?.*/
+      - $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /.*[-_/.][Ee]va[-_/.].*|^[Ee]va[-_/.].*|.*[-_/.][Ee]va$/
 
 eva-domains-nightly:
   <<: *eva_template