diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 9df4c0b618661..e6f26cbfd5cf7 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ workflow:
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH
 
-variables:                         &default-vars
+variables:
   GIT_STRATEGY:                    fetch
   GIT_DEPTH:                       100
   CARGO_INCREMENTAL:               0
@@ -278,8 +278,6 @@ rusty-cachier-notify:
     PR_NUM:                        "${PR_NUM}"
   trigger:
     project:                       "parity/infrastructure/ci_cd/pipeline-stopper"
-    # remove branch, when pipeline-stopper for polakdot is updated to the same branch
-    branch:                        "as-improve"
 
 # need to copy jobs this way because otherwise gitlab will wait
 # for all 3 jobs to finish instead of cancelling if one fails