diff --git a/.buildkite/hooks/post-checkout b/.buildkite/hooks/post-checkout
deleted file mode 100644
index b6cc7ad60bd..00000000000
--- a/.buildkite/hooks/post-checkout
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-set -euo pipefail
-
-checkout_merge() {
-    local target_branch=$1
-    local pr_commit=$2
-    local merge_branch=$3
-
-    if [[ -z "${target_branch}" ]]; then
-        echo "No pull request target branch"
-        exit 1
-    fi
-
-    git fetch -v origin "${target_branch}"
-    git checkout FETCH_HEAD
-    echo "Current branch: $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)"
-
-    # create temporal branch to merge the PR with the target branch
-    git checkout -b ${merge_branch}
-    echo "New branch created: $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)"
-
-    # set author identity so it can be run git merge
-    git config user.name "github-merged-pr-post-checkout"
-    git config user.email "auto-merge@buildkite"
-
-    git merge --no-edit "${BUILDKITE_COMMIT}" || {
-        local merge_result=$?
-        echo "Merge failed: ${merge_result}"
-        git merge --abort
-        exit ${merge_result}
-    }
-}
-
-pull_request="${BUILDKITE_PULL_REQUEST:-false}"
-
-if [[ "${pull_request}" == "false" ]]; then
-    echo "Not a pull request, skipping"
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-TARGET_BRANCH="${BUILDKITE_PULL_REQUEST_BASE_BRANCH:-master}"
-PR_COMMIT="${BUILDKITE_COMMIT}"
-PR_ID=${BUILDKITE_PULL_REQUEST}
-MERGE_BRANCH="pr_merge_${PR_ID}"
-
-checkout_merge "${TARGET_BRANCH}" "${PR_COMMIT}" "${MERGE_BRANCH}"
-
-echo "Commit information"
-git --no-pager log --format=%B -n 1
-
-# Ensure buildkite groups are rendered
-echo ""
diff --git a/.buildkite/pull-requests.json b/.buildkite/pull-requests.json
index 8018411a743..26f785b7522 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pull-requests.json
+++ b/.buildkite/pull-requests.json
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [ ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": [ ]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": [ ],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -30,7 +32,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [ ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^filebeat/.*", ".buildkite/filebeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*" ]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^filebeat/.*", ".buildkite/filebeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*" ],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -46,7 +50,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": [ "^metricbeat/.*", ".buildkite/metricbeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": [ "^metricbeat/.*", ".buildkite/metricbeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -62,7 +68,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": [ "^auditbeat/.*", ".buildkite/auditbeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": [ "^auditbeat/.*", ".buildkite/auditbeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -78,7 +86,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": [ "^heartbeat/.*", ".buildkite/heartbeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": [ "^heartbeat/.*", ".buildkite/heartbeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -94,7 +104,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": [ "^deploy/kubernetes/.*", ".buildkite/deploy/kubernetes/.*", "^libbeat/docs/version.asciidoc"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": [ "^deploy/kubernetes/.*", ".buildkite/deploy/kubernetes/.*", "^libbeat/docs/version.asciidoc"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -110,7 +122,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -126,7 +140,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^packetbeat/.*", ".buildkite/packetbeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^packetbeat/.*", ".buildkite/packetbeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -142,7 +158,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": ["^x-pack/elastic-agent/README.md", "^x-pack/elastic-agent/docs/.*", "^x-pack/elastic-agent/devtools/.*" ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^x-pack/elastic-agent/.*", ".buildkite/x-pack/elastic-agent/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^x-pack/elastic-agent/.*", ".buildkite/x-pack/elastic-agent/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -158,7 +176,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^winlogbeat/.*", ".buildkite/winlogbeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^winlogbeat/.*", ".buildkite/winlogbeat/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -174,7 +194,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^x-pack/winlogbeat/.*", ".buildkite/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*", "^x-pack/libbeat/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^x-pack/winlogbeat/.*", ".buildkite/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*", "^x-pack/libbeat/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -190,7 +212,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^x-pack/packetbeat/.*", "^.buildkite/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*", "^x-pack/libbeat/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^x-pack/packetbeat/.*", "^.buildkite/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*", "^x-pack/libbeat/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -206,7 +230,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^x-pack/libbeat/.*", "^.buildkite/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*", "^x-pack/libbeat/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^x-pack/libbeat/.*", "^.buildkite/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*", "^x-pack/libbeat/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         },
         {
             "enabled": true,
@@ -222,7 +248,9 @@
             "skip_ci_labels": [  ],
             "skip_target_branches": [ ],
             "skip_ci_on_only_changed": [ ],
-            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^x-pack/metricbeat/.*", "^.buildkite/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*", "^x-pack/libbeat/.*"]
+            "always_require_ci_on_changed": ["^x-pack/metricbeat/.*", "^.buildkite/.*", "^go.mod", "^pytest.ini", "^dev-tools/.*", "^libbeat/.*", "^testing/.*", "^x-pack/libbeat/.*"],
+            "use_merge_commit": true,
+            "fail_on_not_mergeable": true
         }
     ]
 }