diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/base_images.yml b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/base_images.yml
index a2d11149b6b36c4b3470f206e07ed8fde811da0a..8109d231bd6d4273a1a5517b6f6dc648ba9d9727 100644
--- a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/base_images.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/base_images.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 # This file was automatically generated, do not edit.
 # Edit file ci/bin/main.ml instead.
 
+default:
+  interruptible: true
+  retry:
+    max: 2
+    when:
+    - stuck_or_timeout_failure
+    - runner_system_failure
+
 workflow:
   rules:
   - if: $foo != "bar" || $foo == "bar"
diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/octez_monitoring.yml b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/octez_monitoring.yml
index be49b1fa83e44cd8c59c778bfe9b86f90262173a..7c8d351f071d917c9077fcfd8846f98448c81b99 100644
--- a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/octez_monitoring.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/octez_monitoring.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 # This file was automatically generated, do not edit.
 # Edit file ci/bin/main.ml instead.
 
+default:
+  interruptible: true
+  retry:
+    max: 2
+    when:
+    - stuck_or_timeout_failure
+    - runner_system_failure
+
 workflow:
   rules:
   - if: $foo != "bar" || $foo == "bar"
diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/security-scans-master.yml b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/security-scans-master.yml
index 168399668deab0d3c03ec4c9833714a2fcafbb0e..8db6621bc066f8278c85f7def72fb7733ab3531c 100644
--- a/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/security-scans-master.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/pipelines/security-scans-master.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 # This file was automatically generated, do not edit.
 # Edit file ci/bin/main.ml instead.
 
+default:
+  interruptible: true
+  retry:
+    max: 2
+    when:
+    - stuck_or_timeout_failure
+    - runner_system_failure
+
 workflow:
   rules:
   - if: $foo != "bar" || $foo == "bar"
diff --git a/ci/bin/main.ml b/ci/bin/main.ml
index b243c7192ddb6b3d5792ddef591d21e966b26d5f..0b91d29a6c6f9d1603d939fff5a102957b3d5063 100644
--- a/ci/bin/main.ml
+++ b/ci/bin/main.ml
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ let () =
   match Cli.config.action with
   | Write ->
       Pipeline.write
-        ~default:Common.Helpers.retry_default
+        ~default:Pipeline.default_config
         ~variables
         ~filename:".gitlab-ci.yml"
         () ;
diff --git a/ci/lib_tezos_ci/tezos_ci.ml b/ci/lib_tezos_ci/tezos_ci.ml
index 1a5f851a3f79e6db86409394ac16e152c2dc83c0..aa1f3196673553d20523de7acbb0296b15aaa551 100644
--- a/ci/lib_tezos_ci/tezos_ci.ml
+++ b/ci/lib_tezos_ci/tezos_ci.ml
@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ module Pipeline = struct
     if_ : Gitlab_ci.If.t;
     variables : Gitlab_ci.Types.variables option;
     auto_cancel : Gitlab_ci.Types.auto_cancel option;
-    default : Gitlab_ci.Types.default option;
     jobs : tezos_job list;
   }
 
@@ -178,7 +177,7 @@ module Pipeline = struct
     description : string;
     auto_cancel : Gitlab_ci.Types.auto_cancel option;
     inherit_ : Gitlab_ci.Types.inherit_ option;
-    default : Gitlab_ci.Types.default option;
+    default : Gitlab_ci.Types.default;
     jobs : tezos_job list;
   }
 
@@ -195,8 +194,19 @@ module Pipeline = struct
     | Child_pipeline {jobs; _} -> jobs
     | Pipeline {jobs; _} -> jobs
 
+  let default_config =
+    Gitlab_ci.Types.
+      {
+        image = None;
+        interruptible = Some true;
+        retry =
+          Some
+            {max = 2; when_ = [Stuck_or_timeout_failure; Runner_system_failure]};
+      }
+
   let default = function
-    | Pipeline {default; _} | Child_pipeline {default; _} -> default
+    | Pipeline _ -> default_config
+    | Child_pipeline {default; _} -> default
 
   let set_jobs jobs = function
     | Child_pipeline pl -> Child_pipeline {pl with jobs}
@@ -213,11 +223,12 @@ module Pipeline = struct
         (name pipeline)
     else pipelines := pipeline :: !pipelines
 
-  let register ?variables ?auto_cancel ?default ~description ~jobs name if_ =
+  let register ?variables ?auto_cancel ~description ~jobs name if_ =
     register_raw
-      (Pipeline {variables; if_; name; jobs; auto_cancel; default; description})
+      (Pipeline {variables; if_; name; jobs; auto_cancel; description})
 
-  let register_child ?auto_cancel ?inherit_ ?default ~description ~jobs name =
+  let register_child ?auto_cancel ?inherit_ ?(default = default_config)
+      ~description ~jobs name =
     let child_pipeline =
       {name; inherit_; jobs; auto_cancel; default; description}
     in
@@ -444,7 +455,6 @@ module Pipeline = struct
     let pipeline = add_image_builders pipeline in
     let jobs = jobs pipeline in
     let name = name pipeline in
-    let pipeline_default = default pipeline in
     if not (Sys.getenv_opt "CI_DISABLE_PRECHECK" = Some "true") then
       precheck pipeline ;
     if jobs = [] then
@@ -464,9 +474,9 @@ module Pipeline = struct
       jobs ;
     let prepend_config =
       templates_to_config (templates pipeline)
-      @ (match pipeline_default with
-        | Some default_config -> [Gitlab_ci.Types.Default default_config]
-        | None -> [])
+      @ (match pipeline with
+        | Pipeline _ -> []
+        | Child_pipeline _ -> [Gitlab_ci.Types.Default (default pipeline)])
       @ (match pipeline with
         | Pipeline _ -> []
         | Child_pipeline _ ->
diff --git a/ci/lib_tezos_ci/tezos_ci.mli b/ci/lib_tezos_ci/tezos_ci.mli
index 6529c96f040a55d664ba7d8e13bbedf9a886f9ca..82ddd4633222d46376dae11cddd553a4c8905437 100644
--- a/ci/lib_tezos_ci/tezos_ci.mli
+++ b/ci/lib_tezos_ci/tezos_ci.mli
@@ -84,6 +84,13 @@ end
 
 (** A facility for registering pipelines. *)
 module Pipeline : sig
+  (** Default pipeline configuration.
+
+      It is included in [.gitlab-ci.yml] and thus all pipelines inherit it,
+      with the exception of child pipelines. You can specify different defaults
+      for child pipelines, with the default defaults being [default_config]. *)
+  val default_config : Gitlab_ci.Types.default
+
   (** Register a pipeline.
 
       [register ~description ?variables ?default name rule] will register a pipeline [name]
@@ -104,7 +111,6 @@ module Pipeline : sig
   val register :
     ?variables:Gitlab_ci.Types.variables ->
     ?auto_cancel:Gitlab_ci.Types.auto_cancel ->
-    ?default:Gitlab_ci.Types.default ->
     description:string ->
     jobs:tezos_job list ->
     string ->
diff --git a/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/common.ml b/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/common.ml
index 964c770ba201135c3cda0e60a4cfec7deaf75ec8..802298f8c7ae7450c39e1e602f6357836e8af66b 100644
--- a/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/common.ml
+++ b/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/common.ml
@@ -23,14 +23,6 @@ open Tezos_ci.Cache
 (** {2 Shared Helpers} *)
 
 module Helpers = struct
-  (* Sets up the [default:] top-level configuration element. *)
-  let retry_default =
-    Gitlab_ci.Util.default
-      ~interruptible:true
-      ~retry:
-        {max = 2; when_ = [Stuck_or_timeout_failure; Runner_system_failure]}
-      ()
-
   (** The default [before_script:] section.
 
     In general, the result of this script should be used as the
diff --git a/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/debian_repository.ml b/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/debian_repository.ml
index a5306fac352027468c6567ddc121ad29bc5393fb..818d7ecd2e5c7cfee865b5a78452a205f5124de3 100644
--- a/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/debian_repository.ml
+++ b/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/debian_repository.ml
@@ -529,7 +529,6 @@ let register ~auto ~description pipeline_type =
   Pipeline.register_child
     pipeline_name
     ~description
-    ~default:Common.Helpers.retry_default
     ~jobs:(job_datadog_pipeline_trace :: jobs)
 
 let child_pipeline_partial =
diff --git a/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/homebrew.ml b/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/homebrew.ml
index 2a8848aa8e34e3848e25335acba8e20063ca3cb7..cd25381ed457fd05108df9857e11c95c9a0bee3b 100644
--- a/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/homebrew.ml
+++ b/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/homebrew.ml
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ let child_pipeline_full =
     ~description:
       "A child pipeline of 'before_merging' building and testing the homebrew \
        packaging. Manually triggered."
-    ~default:Common.Helpers.retry_default
     ~jobs:(jobs Full)
 
 let child_pipeline_full_auto =
@@ -89,5 +88,4 @@ let child_pipeline_full_auto =
       "A child pipeline of 'before_merging' (and thus 'merge_train') building \
        and testing the homebrew packaging. Starts automatically on certain \
        conditions."
-    ~default:Common.Helpers.retry_default
     ~jobs:(jobs Full)
diff --git a/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/rpm_repository.ml b/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/rpm_repository.ml
index 2046669f6d7de5e3104f64032034cb559348b1eb..6a1d2e420d9b0d8412e174c625613d1c4759d532 100644
--- a/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/rpm_repository.ml
+++ b/ci/lib_tezos_ci_jobs/rpm_repository.ml
@@ -378,7 +378,6 @@ let register ~auto ~description pipeline_type =
   Pipeline.register_child
     pipeline_name
     ~description
-    ~default:Common.Helpers.retry_default
     ~jobs:(job_datadog_pipeline_trace :: jobs)
 
 let child_pipeline_partial =