diff --git a/ci_cd/.gitlab-ci.yml b/ci_cd/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 1d1166cfb59df6c77cebc6e73537e0a19e36af40..08a63b33d6637cde38484a3473d94529b8024c88 100644
--- a/ci_cd/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/ci_cd/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 stages:
-  - prebuild
-  - compile
-  - lint
-  - test
+  - labm1
+  - lab0
+  - lab1
+
+#stages:
+#  - prebuild
+#  - compile
+#  - lint
+#  - test
 
 include:
   - local: 'ci_cd/labm1.yml'   # Lab -1
diff --git a/ci_cd/lab0.yml b/ci_cd/lab0.yml
index 0e3d46dadbeb22c67a34f16dae52125144ffe97c..12c4403c51c3cfeca62e5f99aecbddf04290d3aa 100644
--- a/ci_cd/lab0.yml
+++ b/ci_cd/lab0.yml
@@ -1,18 +1,6 @@
-stages:
-  - prebuild
-  - compile
-  - lint
-  - test
-
-.only_run_if_lab0_available: &common_rules_0
-  rules:
-    - changes:
-      - lab0.cpp
-
 ### Lab 0
 prebuild_lab_0:
-  stage: prebuild
-  <<: *common_rules_0
+  stage: lab0
   script:
     - git clone https://agile.bu.edu/gitlab/configs/ec327/lab-configs/current.git base_0
   when: on_success # only runs if the previous stage succeeds
@@ -20,11 +8,13 @@ prebuild_lab_0:
     paths:
       - base_0
       - lab0.cpp
+  rules:
+    - changes:
+        - lab0.cpp
   tags: [c++-17]
 
 compile_lab_0:
-  stage: compile
-  <<: *common_rules_0
+  stage: lab0
   script:
     - echo "Compiling lab0.cpp"
     - g++ -c lab0.cpp
@@ -36,8 +26,7 @@ compile_lab_0:
   tags: [c++-17]
 
 lint_lab_0:
-  stage: lint
-  <<: *common_rules_0
+  stage: lab0
   script:
     - echo "Static code check of lab0.cpp"
     - cppcheck --check-config --enable=all --inconclusive --error-exitcode=1 lab0.cpp tests/LabZero.cpp
@@ -50,8 +39,7 @@ lint_lab_0:
   tags: [cppcheck]
 
 test_lab_0:
-  stage: test
-  <<: *common_rules_0
+  stage: lab0
   script:
     - echo "Testing Lab 0";
     - cp lab0.o base_0/tests
diff --git a/ci_cd/lab1.yml b/ci_cd/lab1.yml
index c33dced643746da60ae11f044b4edccb91a7c711..a380d0a90b446129338656fe569d41a1224269c2 100644
--- a/ci_cd/lab1.yml
+++ b/ci_cd/lab1.yml
@@ -1,18 +1,6 @@
-stages:
-  - prebuild
-  - compile
-  - lint
-  - test
-
-.only_run_if_lab1_available: &common_rules_1
-  rules:
-    - changes:
-        - lab1.cpp
-
 ### Lab 1
 prebuild_lab_1:
-  stage: prebuild
-  <<: *common_rules_1
+  stage: lab1
   script:
     - git clone https://agile.bu.edu/gitlab/configs/ec327/lab-configs/current.git base_1
   when: on_success # only runs if the previous stage succeeds
@@ -20,11 +8,13 @@ prebuild_lab_1:
     paths:
       - base_1
       - lab1.cpp
+  rules:
+    - changes:
+        - lab1.cpp
   tags: [c++-17]
 
 compile_lab_1:
-  stage: compile
-  <<: *common_rules_1
+  stage: lab1
   script:
     - echo "Compiling lab1.cpp"
     - g++ -c lab1.cpp
@@ -36,8 +26,7 @@ compile_lab_1:
   tags: [c++-17]
 
 lint_lab_1:
-  stage: lint
-  <<: *common_rules_1
+  stage: lab1
   script:
     - echo "Static code check of lab1.cpp"
     - cppcheck --check-config --enable=all --inconclusive --error-exitcode=1 lab1.cpp tests/LabOne.cpp
@@ -50,8 +39,7 @@ lint_lab_1:
   tags: [cppcheck]
 
 test_lab_1:
-  stage: test
-  <<: *common_rules_1
+  stage: lab1
   script:
     - echo "Testing Lab 1";
     - cp lab1.o base_1/tests
diff --git a/ci_cd/labm1.yml b/ci_cd/labm1.yml
index 821ba43ed242f573f53d104850b7022d986b9725..fb7e3f8ee0c47be512c3b83cb987cdd2abaa1917 100644
--- a/ci_cd/labm1.yml
+++ b/ci_cd/labm1.yml
@@ -1,29 +1,19 @@
-stages:
-  - prebuild
-  - compile
-  - lint
-  - test
-
-.only_run_if_lab-1_available: &common_rules_m1
-  rules:
-    - changes:
-      - lab-1.cpp
-
 ### Lab -1
 prebuild_lab_m1:
-  stage: prebuild
-  <<: *common_rules_m1
+  stage: labm1
   script:
     - |
       if [ ! -f 'lab-1.cpp' ]; then
         echo "ERROR - could not find file lab-1.cpp";
         exit 1;
       fi
+  rules:
+    - changes:
+        - lab-1.cpp
   tags: [shell]
 
 compile_lab_m1:
-  stage: compile
-  <<: *common_rules_m1
+  stage: labm1
   script:
     - echo "Compiling lab-1.cpp"
     - g++ -c lab-1.cpp
@@ -31,8 +21,7 @@ compile_lab_m1:
   tags: [c++-17]
 
 lint_lab_m1:
-  stage: lint
-  <<: *common_rules_m1
+  stage: labm1
   script:
       - echo "Static code check of lab-1.cpp"
       - cppcheck --enable=all --inconclusive --error-exitcode=1 lab-1.cpp
@@ -42,7 +31,7 @@ lint_lab_m1:
 
 # don't run the test in the master branch
 test_lab_m1:
-  stage: test
+  stage: labm1
   rules:
     - if: '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH != "master" && $CI_COMMIT_TAG == null'
   script: