Allowing to merge a PR on a locked branch for specific users

[Folux]

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Hi GitHub community,

I’m looking for a way to refine how we handle code freezes using branch protection.

Currently, during a code freeze, we lock the main branch via repository settings to prevent any merges. This works well for blocking changes — but we have a specific need:

We’d like to allow a specific group of trusted users (e.g. leads or release managers) to bypass the branch lock and still merge PRs that meet all other requirements (e.g., approved reviews, status checks, etc.).

✅ What we want to keep:
• PRs are still required.
• All review and status check requirements remain enforced.
• Other users are blocked from merging due to the lock.

🚫 The current problem:

When we unlock the branch temporarily to allow an exception, all queued PRs immediately get merged by the merge queue — which defeats the purpose of a controlled freeze.

💡 Feature request:

We’d love a way to define a group (e.g., via a team or role) that can:
• Bypass the branch lock
• Only merge PRs that are otherwise valid (approved, passing checks, etc.)
• While keeping the lock in place for everyone else

Is this possible today, or would Github need to add this feature?

[aattalla]

Hello @Folux, I agree with the suggestion here too! I’m also curious to know how you achieve this: “During a code freeze, we lock the main branch via repository settings to prevent any merges.” Do you do it manually or automatically to enable the lock on Thursdays and disable it on Mondays as an example?

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