diff --git a/lib/modules/platform/gitlab/index.spec.ts b/lib/modules/platform/gitlab/index.spec.ts
index de8b8b466c2ce0..500e7ccb6b8603 100644
--- a/lib/modules/platform/gitlab/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/platform/gitlab/index.spec.ts
@@ -1713,6 +1713,63 @@ describe('modules/platform/gitlab/index', () => {
       `);
     });
 
+    it('will modify a rule of type any_approvers, if such a rule exists', async () => {
+      await initPlatform('13.3.6-ee');
+      httpMock
+        .scope(gitlabApiHost)
+        .post('/api/v4/projects/undefined/merge_requests')
+        .reply(200, {
+          id: 1,
+          iid: 12345,
+          title: 'some title',
+        })
+        .get('/api/v4/projects/undefined/merge_requests/12345')
+        .reply(200)
+        .get('/api/v4/projects/undefined/merge_requests/12345')
+        .reply(200, {
+          merge_status: 'can_be_merged',
+          pipeline: {
+            id: 29626725,
+            sha: '2be7ddb704c7b6b83732fdd5b9f09d5a397b5f8f',
+            ref: 'patch-28',
+            status: 'success',
+          },
+        })
+        .put('/api/v4/projects/undefined/merge_requests/12345/merge')
+        .reply(200)
+        .get('/api/v4/projects/undefined/merge_requests/12345/approval_rules')
+        .reply(200, [
+          {
+            name: 'AnyApproverRule',
+            rule_type: 'any_approver',
+            id: 50005,
+          },
+        ])
+        .put(
+          '/api/v4/projects/undefined/merge_requests/12345/approval_rules/50005'
+        )
+        .reply(200);
+      expect(
+        await gitlab.createPr({
+          sourceBranch: 'some-branch',
+          targetBranch: 'master',
+          prTitle: 'some-title',
+          prBody: 'the-body',
+          labels: [],
+          platformOptions: {
+            usePlatformAutomerge: true,
+            gitLabIgnoreApprovals: true,
+          },
+        })
+      ).toStrictEqual({
+        id: 1,
+        iid: 12345,
+        number: 12345,
+        sourceBranch: 'some-branch',
+        title: 'some title',
+      });
+    });
+
     it('does not try to create already existing approval rule', async () => {
       await initPlatform('13.3.6-ee');
       httpMock
diff --git a/lib/modules/platform/gitlab/index.ts b/lib/modules/platform/gitlab/index.ts
index eb3af69a208e34..4f1cdf8527a0c9 100644
--- a/lib/modules/platform/gitlab/index.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/platform/gitlab/index.ts
@@ -530,7 +530,25 @@ export async function getPrList(): Promise<Pr[]> {
 async function ignoreApprovals(pr: number): Promise<void> {
   try {
     const url = `projects/${config.repository}/merge_requests/${pr}/approval_rules`;
-    const { body: rules } = await gitlabApi.getJson<{ name: string }[]>(url);
+    const { body: rules } = await gitlabApi.getJson<
+      {
+        name: string;
+        rule_type: string;
+        id: number;
+      }[]
+    >(url);
+
+    const existingAnyApproverRule = rules?.find(
+      ({ rule_type }) => rule_type === 'any_approver'
+    );
+
+    if (existingAnyApproverRule) {
+      await gitlabApi.putJson(`${url}/${existingAnyApproverRule.id}`, {
+        body: { ...existingAnyApproverRule, approvals_required: 0 },
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+
     const ruleName = 'renovateIgnoreApprovals';
     const zeroApproversRule = rules?.find(({ name }) => name === ruleName);
     if (!zeroApproversRule) {