diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 3d56af6e7a..0061494e11 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ image: "ubuntu:bionic"
 
 variables:
   DOCKER_DRIVER: overlay2
+  FAST_MODE: "false" # when "true", only run linter on arm and unit/functional tests on linux64, skip everything else
 
 stages:
   - builder-image
@@ -126,6 +127,12 @@ builder-image:
       - $CI_PROJECT_DIR/testlogs
     expire_in: 3 days
 
+.skip-in-fast-mode-template:
+  rules:
+    - if: '$FAST_MODE == "true"'
+      when: never
+    - when: always
+
 ###
 
 arm-linux-gnueabihf:
@@ -134,25 +141,26 @@ arm-linux-gnueabihf:
     HOST: arm-linux-gnueabihf
 
 i686-w64-mingw32:
-  extends: .build-depends-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-depends-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   variables:
     HOST: i686-w64-mingw32
 
 x86_64-w64-mingw32:
-  extends: .build-depends-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-depends-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   variables:
     HOST: x86_64-w64-mingw32
 
 i686-pc-linux-gnu:
-  extends: .build-depends-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-depends-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   variables:
     HOST: i686-pc-linux-gnu
 
-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu:
-  extends: .build-depends-template
-  variables:
-    HOST: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
-
 x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu-debug:
   extends: .build-depends-template
   variables:
@@ -160,19 +168,25 @@ x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu-debug:
     DEP_OPTS: "DEBUG=1"
 
 x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu-nowalet:
-  extends: .build-depends-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-depends-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   variables:
     HOST: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
     DEP_OPTS: "NO_WALLET=1"
 
 x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu-release:
-  extends: .build-depends-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-depends-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   variables:
     HOST: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
     DEP_OPTS: "NO_UPNP=1"
 
 x86_64-apple-darwin11:
-  extends: .build-depends-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-depends-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   variables:
     HOST: x86_64-apple-darwin11
 
@@ -186,21 +200,27 @@ arm-linux-build:
     BUILD_TARGET: arm-linux
 
 win32-build:
-  extends: .build-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   needs:
     - i686-w64-mingw32
   variables:
     BUILD_TARGET: win32
 
 win64-build:
-  extends: .build-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   needs:
     - x86_64-w64-mingw32
   variables:
     BUILD_TARGET: win64
 
 linux32-build:
-  extends: .build-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   needs:
     - i686-pc-linux-gnu
   variables:
@@ -214,21 +234,27 @@ linux64-build:
     BUILD_TARGET: linux64
 
 linux64_nowallet-build:
-  extends: .build-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   needs:
     - x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu-nowalet
   variables:
     BUILD_TARGET: linux64_nowallet
 
 linux64_release-build:
-  extends: .build-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   needs:
     - x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu-release
   variables:
     BUILD_TARGET: linux64_release
 
 mac-build:
-  extends: .build-template
+  extends:
+    - .build-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   needs:
     - x86_64-apple-darwin11
   variables:
@@ -237,7 +263,9 @@ mac-build:
 ###
 
 linux32-test:
-  extends: .test-template
+  extends:
+    - .test-template
+    - .skip-in-fast-mode-template
   needs:
     - linux32-build
   variables: