diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 463b1d56507cb970e5ec15e6fa90ce6adf3e123b..db600343569930a436a593a8ab5d511a35bc7aca 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -61,16 +61,6 @@ mypy:
     - make mypy
 
 # run unit tests
-unittest_py3.8:
-  tags: [ docker ]
-  stage: test
-  needs: [ ]
-  image: python:3.8
-  script: &python_test_script
-    # Python docker has problems with tox and pip so use plain pytest here
-    - touch ~/.pylinkahead.ini
-    - pip install .[test]
-    - python -m pytest unittests
 
 # This needs to be changed once Python 3.9 isn't the standard Python in Debian
 # anymore.
@@ -90,7 +80,11 @@ unittest_py3.10:
   stage: test
   needs: [ ]
   image: python:3.10
-  script: *python_test_script
+  script: &python_test_script
+    # Python docker has problems with tox and pip so use plain pytest here
+    - touch ~/.pylinkahead.ini
+    - pip install .[test]
+    - python -m pytest unittests
 
 unittest_py3.11:
   tags: [ docker ]
@@ -158,7 +152,7 @@ build-testenv:
 pages_prepare: &pages_prepare
   tags: [ cached-dind ]
   stage: deploy
-  needs: [ code_style, pylint, unittest_py3.8, unittest_py3.9, unittest_py3.10 ]
+  needs: [ code_style, pylint, unittest_py3.9, unittest_py3.10 ]
   only:
     refs:
       - /^release-.*$/i