diff --git a/app/models/ci/pipeline.rb b/app/models/ci/pipeline.rb
index 8889195ec24..6b38c2eff98 100644
--- a/app/models/ci/pipeline.rb
+++ b/app/models/ci/pipeline.rb
@@ -365,18 +365,10 @@ module Ci
       @stage_seeds ||= config_processor.stage_seeds(self)
     end
 
-    def seeds_size
-      @seeds_size ||= stage_seeds.sum(&:size)
-    end
-
     def has_kubernetes_active?
       project.deployment_platform&.active?
     end
 
-    def has_stage_seeds?
-      stage_seeds.any?
-    end
-
     def has_warnings?
       builds.latest.failed_but_allowed.any?
     end
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/populate.rb b/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/populate.rb
index 94d9b44b257..989cb8312ba 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/populate.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/populate.rb
@@ -21,15 +21,19 @@ module Gitlab
               pipeline.stages << seed.to_resource
             end
 
+            if pipeline.stages.none?
+              return error('No stages / jobs for this pipeline.')
+            end
+
             if pipeline.invalid?
-              error('Failed to build the pipeline!')
+              return error('Failed to build the pipeline!')
             end
 
             raise Populate::PopulateError if pipeline.persisted?
           end
 
           def break?
-            pipeline.invalid?
+            pipeline.errors.any?
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/validate/config.rb b/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/validate/config.rb
index 075504bcce5..655a6d0b3e7 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/validate/config.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/validate/config.rb
@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@ module Gitlab
 
                 return error(@pipeline.yaml_errors)
               end
-
-              unless @pipeline.has_stage_seeds?
-                return error('No stages / jobs for this pipeline.')
-              end
             end
 
             def break?
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/populate_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/populate_spec.rb
index f1fc7acb969..115c76aff2d 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/populate_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/populate_spec.rb
@@ -42,6 +42,32 @@ describe Gitlab::Ci::Pipeline::Chain::Populate do
     end
   end
 
+  context 'when pipeline is empty' do
+    let(:config) do
+      { rspec: {
+          script: 'ls',
+          only: ['something']
+      } }
+    end
+
+    let(:pipeline) do
+      build(:ci_pipeline, project: project, config: config)
+    end
+
+    before do
+      step.perform!
+    end
+
+    it 'breaks the chain' do
+      expect(step.break?).to be true
+    end
+
+    it 'appends an error about missing stages' do
+      expect(pipeline.errors.to_a)
+        .to include 'No stages / jobs for this pipeline.'
+    end
+  end
+
   context 'when pipeline has validation errors' do
     let(:pipeline) do
       build(:ci_pipeline, project: project, ref: nil)
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/validate/config_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/validate/config_spec.rb
index 5c12c6e6392..c53294d091c 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/validate/config_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/validate/config_spec.rb
@@ -76,28 +76,6 @@ describe Gitlab::Ci::Pipeline::Chain::Validate::Config do
     end
   end
 
-  context 'when pipeline has no stages / jobs' do
-    let(:config) do
-      { rspec: {
-          script: 'ls',
-          only: ['something']
-      } }
-    end
-
-    let(:pipeline) do
-      build(:ci_pipeline, project: project, config: config)
-    end
-
-    it 'appends an error about missing stages' do
-      expect(pipeline.errors.to_a)
-        .to include 'No stages / jobs for this pipeline.'
-    end
-
-    it 'breaks the chain' do
-      expect(step.break?).to be true
-    end
-  end
-
   context 'when pipeline contains configuration validation errors' do
     let(:config) { { rspec: {} } }
 
diff --git a/spec/models/ci/pipeline_spec.rb b/spec/models/ci/pipeline_spec.rb
index 0ceb25153ab..3d8047ca3ac 100644
--- a/spec/models/ci/pipeline_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/ci/pipeline_spec.rb
@@ -253,14 +253,6 @@ describe Ci::Pipeline, :mailer do
       end
     end
 
-    describe '#seeds_size' do
-      let(:pipeline) { build(:ci_pipeline_with_one_job) }
-
-      it 'returns number of jobs in stage seeds' do
-        expect(pipeline.seeds_size).to eq 1
-      end
-    end
-
     describe '#legacy_stages' do
       subject { pipeline.legacy_stages }
 
@@ -590,20 +582,6 @@ describe Ci::Pipeline, :mailer do
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#has_stage_seeds?' do
-    context 'when pipeline has stage seeds' do
-      subject { build(:ci_pipeline_with_one_job) }
-
-      it { is_expected.to have_stage_seeds }
-    end
-
-    context 'when pipeline does not have stage seeds' do
-      subject { create(:ci_pipeline_without_jobs) }
-
-      it { is_expected.not_to have_stage_seeds }
-    end
-  end
-
   describe '#has_warnings?' do
     subject { pipeline.has_warnings? }