diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull-request-commentor.yaml b/.github/workflows/pull-request-commentor.yaml
index 115732d755e..7c6c6e7491e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull-request-commentor.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull-request-commentor.yaml
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ jobs:
         k8s: ["1.25", "1.26", "1.27", "1.28", "1.29"]
         exclude:
           # the next Ceph-CSI version will not be tested with old Kubernetes
+          - k8s: "1.26"
+            branch: "devel"
           - k8s: "1.25"
             branch: "devel"
           - k8s: "1.25"
diff --git a/.mergify.yml b/.mergify.yml
index b762885c49b..97c894e6568 100644
--- a/.mergify.yml
+++ b/.mergify.yml
@@ -94,15 +94,12 @@ queue_rules:
               - "status-success=golangci-lint"
               - "status-success=mod-check"
               - "status-success=lint-extras"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.29"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.29"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.29"
@@ -191,15 +188,12 @@ pull_request_rules:
               - "status-success=golangci-lint"
               - "status-success=mod-check"
               - "status-success=lint-extras"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.29"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.29"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.29"
@@ -316,15 +310,12 @@ pull_request_rules:
               - "status-success=commitlint"
               - "status-success=mod-check"
               - "status-success=lint-extras"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.29"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.29"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.29"
@@ -377,15 +368,12 @@ pull_request_rules:
               - "status-success=mod-check"
               - "status-success=lint-extras"
               - "#changes-requested-reviews-by=0"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/k8s-e2e-external-storage/1.29"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e-helm/k8s-1.29"
-              - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.26"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.27"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.28"
               - "status-success=ci/centos/mini-e2e/k8s-1.29"