diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/base.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/base.yml
index 4f091d5aad..f334f3ded7 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/base.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/base.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@
     - if: '$QEMU_JOB_ONLY_FORKS == "1" && $CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE == "qemu-project"'
       when: never
 
+    # Forks don't get pipelines unless QEMU_CI=1 or QEMU_CI=2 is set
+    - if: '$QEMU_CI != "1" && $QEMU_CI != "2" && $CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE != "qemu-project"'
+      when: never
+
     # Avocado jobs don't run in forks unless $QEMU_CI_AVOCADO_TESTING is set
     - if: '$QEMU_JOB_AVOCADO && $QEMU_CI_AVOCADO_TESTING != "1" && $CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE != "qemu-project"'
       when: never
@@ -59,5 +63,10 @@
     # an earlier criteria
     #############################################################
 
+    # Forks pipeline jobs don't start automatically unless
+    # QEMU_CI=2 is set
+    - if: '$QEMU_CI != "2" && $CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE != "qemu-project"'
+      when: manual
+
     # Jobs can run if any jobs they depend on were successfull
     - when: on_success
diff --git a/docs/devel/ci-jobs.rst.inc b/docs/devel/ci-jobs.rst.inc
index 0b4926e537..9118a61a17 100644
--- a/docs/devel/ci-jobs.rst.inc
+++ b/docs/devel/ci-jobs.rst.inc
@@ -28,6 +28,32 @@ For further information about how to set these variables, please refer to::
 
   https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/push_options.html#push-options-for-gitlab-cicd
 
+Setting aliases in your git config
+----------------------------------
+
+You can use aliases to make it easier to push branches with different
+CI configurations. For example define an alias for triggering CI:
+
+.. code::
+
+   git config --local alias.push-ci "push -o ci.variable=QEMU_CI=1"
+   git config --local alias.push-ci-now "push -o ci.variable=QEMU_CI=2"
+
+Which lets you run:
+
+.. code::
+
+   git push-ci
+
+to create the pipeline, or:
+
+.. code::
+
+   git push-ci-now
+
+to create and run the pipeline
+
+
 Variable naming and grouping
 ----------------------------
 
@@ -98,6 +124,18 @@ Contributor controlled runtime variables
 The following variables may be set by contributors to control
 job execution
 
+QEMU_CI
+~~~~~~~
+
+By default, no pipelines will be created on contributor forks
+in order to preserve CI credits
+
+Set this variable to 1 to create the pipelines, but leave all
+the jobs to be manually started from the UI
+
+Set this variable to 2 to create the pipelines and run all
+the jobs immediately, as was historicaly behaviour
+
 QEMU_CI_AVOCADO_TESTING
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 By default, tests using the Avocado framework are not run automatically in