diff --git a/.github/workflows/kickstart-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/kickstart-tests.yml
index 1070abb2ada7..3d92e556ae11 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/kickstart-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/kickstart-tests.yml
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
 
 name: kickstart-tests
 on:
-  issue_comment:
-    types: [created]
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, reopened, synchronize]
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -42,24 +42,6 @@ jobs:
     if: startsWith(github.event.comment.body, '/kickstart-test')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: Query comment author repository permissions
-        uses: octokit/request-action@v2.x
-        id: user_permission
-        with:
-          route: GET /repos/${{ github.repository }}/collaborators/${{ github.event.sender.login }}/permission
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-
-      # restrict running of tests to users with admin or write permission for the repository
-      # see https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/rest/reference/repos#get-repository-permissions-for-a-user
-      # store output if user is allowed in allowed_user job output so it has to be checked in downstream job
-      - name: Check if user does have correct permissions
-        if: contains('admin write', fromJson(steps.user_permission.outputs.data).permission)
-        id: check_user_perm
-        run: |
-          echo "User '${{ github.event.sender.login }}' has permission '${{ fromJson(steps.user_permission.outputs.data).permission }}' allowed values: 'admin', 'write'"
-          echo "allowed_user=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
       - name: Get information for pull request
         uses: octokit/request-action@v2.x
         id: pr_api
@@ -68,17 +50,6 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
-      - name: Parse comment arguments
-        id: parse_comment_args
-        # Do not use comment body directly in the shell command to avoid possible code injection.
-        env:
-          BODY: ${{ github.event.comment.body }}
-        run: |
-          # extract first line and cut out the "/kickstart-tests" first word
-          ARGS=$(echo "$BODY" | sed -n '1 s/^[^ ]* *//p' | sed 's/[[:space:]]*$//')
-          echo "workflow arguments are: $ARGS"
-          echo "comment_args=${ARGS}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
       - name: Get timestamp
         id: timestamp
         run: echo "::set-output name=timestamp::$(date +'%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S')"
@@ -89,22 +60,23 @@ jobs:
           set -eux
           # comment on PR
           pr_num="${{ github.event.issue.number }}"
-          timestamp=${{ steps.teimstamp.outputs.timestamp }}
+          timestamp=${{ steps.timestamp.outputs.timestamp }}
           sha="${{ steps.pr_api.outcome == 'success' && fromJson(steps.pr_api.outputs.data).head.sha }}"
           echo "image_description=pr$pr_num-$timestamp-$sha" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           fi
 
     outputs:
-      allowed_user: ${{ steps.check_user_perm.outputs.allowed_user }}
+      allowed_user: 'true'
       base_ref: ${{ fromJson(steps.pr_api.outputs.data).base.ref }}
       sha: ${{ fromJson(steps.pr_api.outputs.data).head.sha }}
-      comment_args: ${{ steps.parse_comment_args.outputs.comment_args }}
+      comment_args: '--testtype smoke'
       target_branch: ${{ fromJson(steps.pr_api.outputs.data).base.ref }}
+      timestamp: ${{steps.kstest_run_description.outputs.image_description}}
 
   run:
     needs: pr-info
     # only do this for Fedora for now; once we have RHEL 8/9 boot.iso builds working, also support these
-    if: needs.pr-info.outputs.allowed_user == 'true' && needs.pr-info.outputs.comment_args != '' && ! contains(github.event.comment.body, '--waive')
+    if: needs.pr-info.outputs.allowed_user == 'true' && needs.pr-info.outputs.comment_args != ''
     runs-on: [self-hosted, kstest]
     timeout-minutes: 300
     env:
@@ -336,28 +308,3 @@ jobs:
           target_url: 'https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}'
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-
-  waive:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: pr-info
-    if: needs.pr-info.outputs.allowed_user == 'true' && contains(github.event.comment.body, '--waive')
-    steps:
-
-      - name: Get the waiving reason
-        id: get_reason
-        env:
-          BODY: ${{ github.event.comment.body }}
-        run: |
-          REASON=$(echo "$BODY" | sed -e "s#/kickstart-test --waive ##" | sed 's/[[:space:]]*$//')
-          echo "reason=Waived, $REASON" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
-      - name: Set status
-        uses: octokit/request-action@v2.x
-        with:
-          route: 'POST /repos/${{ github.repository }}/statuses/${{ needs.pr-info.outputs.sha }}'
-          context: 'kickstart-test --testtype smoke'
-          description: '${{ steps.get_reason.outputs.reason }}'
-          state: ${{ job.status }}
-          target_url: 'https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}'
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/kickstart-tests.yml.j2 b/.github/workflows/kickstart-tests.yml.j2
index 7d4e062b98cc..4adeb01eb19d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/kickstart-tests.yml.j2
+++ b/.github/workflows/kickstart-tests.yml.j2
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 
 name: kickstart-tests
 on:
-  issue_comment:
-    types: [created]
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, reopened, synchronize]
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -33,27 +33,8 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   pr-info:
-    if: startsWith(github.event.comment.body, '/kickstart-test')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: Query comment author repository permissions
-        uses: octokit/request-action@v2.x
-        id: user_permission
-        with:
-          route: GET /repos/${{ github.repository }}/collaborators/${{ github.event.sender.login }}/permission
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-
-      # restrict running of tests to users with admin or write permission for the repository
-      # see https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/rest/reference/repos#get-repository-permissions-for-a-user
-      # store output if user is allowed in allowed_user job output so it has to be checked in downstream job
-      - name: Check if user does have correct permissions
-        if: contains('admin write', fromJson(steps.user_permission.outputs.data).permission)
-        id: check_user_perm
-        run: |
-          echo "User '${{ github.event.sender.login }}' has permission '${{ fromJson(steps.user_permission.outputs.data).permission }}' allowed values: 'admin', 'write'"
-          echo "allowed_user=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
       - name: Get information for pull request
         uses: octokit/request-action@v2.x
         id: pr_api
@@ -62,17 +43,6 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
-      - name: Parse comment arguments
-        id: parse_comment_args
-        # Do not use comment body directly in the shell command to avoid possible code injection.
-        env:
-          BODY: ${{ github.event.comment.body }}
-        run: |
-          # extract first line and cut out the "/kickstart-tests" first word
-          ARGS=$(echo "$BODY" | sed -n '1 s/^[^ ]* *//p' | sed 's/[[:space:]]*$//')
-          echo "workflow arguments are: $ARGS"
-          echo "comment_args=${ARGS}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
       - name: Get timestamp
         id: timestamp
         run: echo "::set-output name=timestamp::$(date +'%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S')"
@@ -89,17 +59,17 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
     outputs:
-      allowed_user: ${{ steps.check_user_perm.outputs.allowed_user }}
+      allowed_user: 'true'
       base_ref: ${{ fromJson(steps.pr_api.outputs.data).base.ref }}
       sha: ${{ fromJson(steps.pr_api.outputs.data).head.sha }}
-      comment_args: ${{ steps.parse_comment_args.outputs.comment_args }}
+      comment_args: '--testtype smoke'
       target_branch: ${{ fromJson(steps.pr_api.outputs.data).base.ref }}
       timestamp: ${{steps.kstest_run_description.outputs.image_description}}
 
   run:
     needs: pr-info
     # only do this for Fedora for now; once we have RHEL 8/9 boot.iso builds working, also support these
-    if: needs.pr-info.outputs.allowed_user == 'true' && needs.pr-info.outputs.comment_args != '' && ! contains(github.event.comment.body, '--waive')
+    if: needs.pr-info.outputs.allowed_user == 'true' && needs.pr-info.outputs.comment_args != ''
     runs-on: [self-hosted, kstest]
     timeout-minutes: 300
     env:
@@ -331,29 +301,4 @@ jobs:
           target_url: 'https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}'
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-
-  waive:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: pr-info
-    if: needs.pr-info.outputs.allowed_user == 'true' && contains(github.event.comment.body, '--waive')
-    steps:
-
-      - name: Get the waiving reason
-        id: get_reason
-        env:
-          BODY: ${{ github.event.comment.body }}
-        run: |
-          REASON=$(echo "$BODY" | sed -e "s#/kickstart-test --waive ##" | sed 's/[[:space:]]*$//')
-          echo "reason=Waived, $REASON" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
-      - name: Set status
-        uses: octokit/request-action@v2.x
-        with:
-          route: 'POST /repos/${{ github.repository }}/statuses/${{ needs.pr-info.outputs.sha }}'
-          context: 'kickstart-test --testtype smoke'
-          description: '${{ steps.get_reason.outputs.reason }}'
-          state: ${{ job.status }}
-          target_url: 'https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}'
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 {% endif %}