diff --git a/doc/ci/yaml/includes.md b/doc/ci/yaml/includes.md
index 6d34a3034f71fa1047feeaa83d3d6cea2599ebd6..252cef0aa97772e54744b651ab711274986e6962 100644
--- a/doc/ci/yaml/includes.md
+++ b/doc/ci/yaml/includes.md
@@ -405,7 +405,8 @@ see this [CI/CD variable demo](https://youtu.be/4XR8gw3Pkos).
 > - Introduced in GitLab 14.2 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `ci_include_rules`. Disabled by default.
 > - [Enabled on GitLab.com and self-managed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/337507) in GitLab 14.3.
 > - [Generally available](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/337507) in GitLab 14.4. Feature flag `ci_include_rules` removed.
-> - [Support for `exists` keyword added](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/341511) in GitLab 14.5.
+> - Support for `exists` keyword [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/341511) in GitLab 14.5.
+> - Support for `needs` job dependency [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/345377) in GitLab 15.11.
 
 You can use [`rules`](index.md#rules) with `include` to conditionally include other configuration files.
 
@@ -415,11 +416,6 @@ these keywords:
 - [`rules:if`](index.md#rulesif).
 - [`rules:exists`](index.md#rulesexists).
 
-You cannot use [`needs:`](index.md#needs) to create a job dependency that points to
-a job added with `include:local:rules`. When the configuration is validated,
-GitLab returns `undefined need: <job-name>`. [Issue 345377](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/345377)
-proposes improving this behavior.
-
 ### `include` with `rules:if`
 
 Use [`rules:if`](index.md#rulesif) to conditionally include other configuration files
diff --git a/doc/ci/yaml/index.md b/doc/ci/yaml/index.md
index 01173f43c2e71efca1750ea85c46a1a55c2232b7..82d333b8136fe83d90d97798303313ab5f8cec53 100644
--- a/doc/ci/yaml/index.md
+++ b/doc/ci/yaml/index.md
@@ -2556,11 +2556,10 @@ can use that variable in `needs:pipeline` to download artifacts from the parent
 To need a job that sometimes does not exist in the pipeline, add `optional: true`
 to the `needs` configuration. If not defined, `optional: false` is the default.
 
-Jobs that use [`rules`](#rules), [`only`, or `except`](#only--except) might not always
-be added to a pipeline. GitLab checks the `needs` relationships before starting a
-pipeline:
+Jobs that use [`rules`](#rules), [`only`, or `except`](#only--except) and that are added with [`include`](#include)
+might not always be added to a pipeline. GitLab checks the `needs` relationships before starting a pipeline:
 
-- If the needs entry has `optional: true` and the needed job is present in the pipeline,
+- If the `needs` entry has `optional: true` and the needed job is present in the pipeline,
   the job waits for it to complete before starting.
 - If the needed job is not present, the job can start when all other needs requirements are met.
 - If the `needs` section contains only optional jobs, and none are added to the pipeline,
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/ci/yaml_processor.rb b/lib/gitlab/ci/yaml_processor.rb
index 59acfa802589d2fdab4df6afce0c858ec1999202..255bb4dc0dc5e4555ae69ec02eb9c4a08e0de070 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/ci/yaml_processor.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/ci/yaml_processor.rb
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def validate_job_needs!(name, job)
         validate_duplicate_needs!(name, needs)
 
         needs.each do |need|
-          validate_job_dependency!(name, need[:name], 'need')
+          validate_job_dependency!(name, need[:name], 'need', optional: need[:optional])
         end
       end
 
@@ -109,8 +109,11 @@ def validate_duplicate_needs!(name, needs)
         end
       end
 
-      def validate_job_dependency!(name, dependency, dependency_type = 'dependency')
+      def validate_job_dependency!(name, dependency, dependency_type = 'dependency', optional: false)
         unless @jobs[dependency.to_sym]
+          # Here, we ignore the optional needed job if it is not included in the result YAML.
+          return if optional
+
           error!("#{name} job: undefined #{dependency_type}: #{dependency}")
         end
 
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/yaml_processor_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/yaml_processor_spec.rb
index b00d9b46bc7f2938b58719093b7c92a6bdbeb14e..d7dcfe64c748d1cee41eecf88c847fd802c7f0e5 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/yaml_processor_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/yaml_processor_spec.rb
@@ -2395,10 +2395,16 @@ module Ci
           end
         end
 
-        context 'undefined need' do
+        context 'when need is an undefined job' do
           let(:needs) { ['undefined'] }
 
           it_behaves_like 'returns errors', 'test1 job: undefined need: undefined'
+
+          context 'when need is optional' do
+            let(:needs) { [{ job: 'undefined', optional: true }] }
+
+            it { is_expected.to be_valid }
+          end
         end
 
         context 'needs to deploy' do