diff --git a/app/models/merge_request.rb b/app/models/merge_request.rb
index df5678ec2f1..92add079a02 100644
--- a/app/models/merge_request.rb
+++ b/app/models/merge_request.rb
@@ -966,7 +966,6 @@ class MergeRequest < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   def mergeable_ci_state?
     return true unless project.only_allow_merge_if_pipeline_succeeds?
-    return true unless head_pipeline
 
     actual_head_pipeline&.success? || actual_head_pipeline&.skipped?
   end
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/28682-can-merge-branch-before-build-is-started.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/28682-can-merge-branch-before-build-is-started.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5ffd93e098f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/28682-can-merge-branch-before-build-is-started.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Strictly require a pipeline to merge.
+merge_request: 22911
+author:
+type: changed
diff --git a/spec/models/merge_request_spec.rb b/spec/models/merge_request_spec.rb
index 131db6a5ff9..a58dc8e25e8 100644
--- a/spec/models/merge_request_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/merge_request_spec.rb
@@ -1782,7 +1782,7 @@ describe MergeRequest do
           allow(subject).to receive(:head_pipeline) { nil }
         end
 
-        it { expect(subject.mergeable_ci_state?).to be_truthy }
+        it { expect(subject.mergeable_ci_state?).to be_falsey }
       end
     end