diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/default.yml b/.gitlab-ci/default.yml
index 4264f87271c1d8adc5e6a9075d4f1c085b18c1fb..706c7a310d42f1081a96e7ccfd71882cb9a3911e 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/default.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/default.yml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ select tests:
       else
           echo "Received '$TRIGGER_SOURCE' as pipeline trigger event"
           echo "Skipping test selection, build/test stages will consider all tests!"
-          echo "{}" >> ../affectedtests.json
+          touch affectedtests.json
       fi
   artifacts:
     paths:
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ build dumux:
   script:
     - |
       pushd build-cmake
-        make clean && make
-        if [[ "$TRIGGER_SOURCE" == "merge_request_event" ]]; then
+        make clean && make all
+        if [ -s ../affectedtests.json ]; then
           python3 ../bin/testing/runselectedtests.py -c ../affectedtests.json -b
         else
           python3 ../bin/testing/runselectedtests.py --all -b
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ test dumux:
   script:
     - |
       pushd build-cmake
-        if [[ "$TRIGGER_SOURCE" == "merge_request_event" ]]; then
+        if [ -s ../affectedtests.json ]; then
           python3 ../bin/testing/runselectedtests.py -c ../affectedtests.json -t
         else
           python3 ../bin/testing/runselectedtests.py --all -t