diff --git a/ee/app/assets/javascripts/approvals/mappers.js b/ee/app/assets/javascripts/approvals/mappers.js
index 148e28febda4fa8274480544cdb2c8ebb487b14c..51418a1e9e6600fcdbcd56ba9c57be6bda77c4f5 100644
--- a/ee/app/assets/javascripts/approvals/mappers.js
+++ b/ee/app/assets/javascripts/approvals/mappers.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ export const mapApprovalRuleResponse = res => ({
   hasSource: Boolean(res.source_rule),
   name: res.name,
   approvalsRequired: res.approvals_required,
-  minApprovalsRequired: res.source_rule ? res.source_rule.approvals_required : 0,
+  minApprovalsRequired: 0,
   approvers: res.approvers,
   containsHiddenGroups: res.contains_hidden_groups,
   users: res.users,
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export const mapMRSourceRule = ({ id, ...rule }) => ({
   ...rule,
   hasSource: true,
   sourceId: id,
-  minApprovalsRequired: rule.approvalsRequired || 0,
+  minApprovalsRequired: 0,
 });
 
 /**
diff --git a/ee/app/models/approval_merge_request_rule.rb b/ee/app/models/approval_merge_request_rule.rb
index f6d9f8937b26be6a948d87463a833e35321c8971..bd48ff6e379f2bb9f6cb4cb0a2ee3b5ee2b41a1b 100644
--- a/ee/app/models/approval_merge_request_rule.rb
+++ b/ee/app/models/approval_merge_request_rule.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ class ApprovalMergeRequestRule < ApplicationRecord
   has_one :approval_project_rule, through: :approval_merge_request_rule_source
   alias_method :source_rule, :approval_project_rule
 
-  validate :validate_approvals_required, unless: :report_approver?
   validate :validate_approval_project_rule
 
   enum rule_type: {
@@ -116,15 +115,6 @@ def sync_approved_approvers
 
   private
 
-  def validate_approvals_required
-    return unless approval_project_rule
-    return unless approvals_required_changed?
-
-    if approvals_required < approval_project_rule.approvals_required
-      errors.add(:approvals_required, :greater_than_or_equal_to, count: approval_project_rule.approvals_required)
-    end
-  end
-
   def validate_approval_project_rule
     return if approval_project_rule.blank?
     return if merge_request.project == approval_project_rule.project
diff --git a/ee/changelogs/unreleased/12607-allow-lower-approvals-required.yml b/ee/changelogs/unreleased/12607-allow-lower-approvals-required.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ae363d24e396a9469e4b73a3ff65db1e317d08bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ee/changelogs/unreleased/12607-allow-lower-approvals-required.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Allow approvals_required to be lower than project
+merge_request: 14902
+author:
+type: changed
diff --git a/ee/spec/models/approval_merge_request_rule_spec.rb b/ee/spec/models/approval_merge_request_rule_spec.rb
index 59e714b82f02f53677902fde1def95d5b544053e..0bf3ad30824de1ea434eee2eeb2c7723e5b1caf9 100644
--- a/ee/spec/models/approval_merge_request_rule_spec.rb
+++ b/ee/spec/models/approval_merge_request_rule_spec.rb
@@ -278,33 +278,6 @@
         subject.assign_attributes(approvals_required: -1)
         expect(subject).to be_invalid
       end
-
-      context 'when project rule is present' do
-        let(:project_rule) { create(:approval_project_rule, project: merge_request.project, approvals_required: 3) }
-
-        it 'has to be greater than or equal to project rule approvals_required' do
-          subject.assign_attributes(approval_project_rule: project_rule, approvals_required: 2)
-          subject.valid?
-
-          expect(subject.errors[:approvals_required]).to include("must be greater than or equal to 3")
-        end
-
-        context 'when report_approver rule' do
-          subject do
-            build(:report_approver_rule, merge_request: merge_request, approvals_required: 1).tap do |rule|
-              rule.approval_project_rule = project_rule
-            end
-          end
-
-          it 'skips validation' do
-            expect(subject).to be_valid
-
-            subject.approvals_required = 0
-
-            expect(subject).to be_valid
-          end
-        end
-      end
     end
   end
 end