diff --git a/.github/local-actions/branch-manager/lib/main.ts b/.github/local-actions/branch-manager/lib/main.ts
index 9c493a4c1..b12b10dff 100644
--- a/.github/local-actions/branch-manager/lib/main.ts
+++ b/.github/local-actions/branch-manager/lib/main.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ async function main() {
       pr,
       createPullRequestValidationConfig({
         assertSignedCla: true,
-        assertMergeReady: true,
+        assertMergeReady: false,
         assertPending: false,
         assertChangesAllowForTargetLabel: false,
         assertPassingCi: false,
diff --git a/.github/local-actions/branch-manager/main.js b/.github/local-actions/branch-manager/main.js
index b43f7ca65..4c33db29e 100644
--- a/.github/local-actions/branch-manager/main.js
+++ b/.github/local-actions/branch-manager/main.js
@@ -59873,6 +59873,9 @@ async function pullRequestHasValidTestedComment(comments, gitClient) {
 var mergeReadyValidation = createPullRequestValidation({ name: "assertMergeReady", canBeForceIgnored: false }, () => Validation7);
 var Validation7 = class extends PullRequestValidation {
   assert(pullRequest) {
+    if (pullRequest.isDraft) {
+      throw this._createError("Pull request is still a draft.");
+    }
     if (!pullRequest.labels.nodes.some(({ name }) => name === actionLabels.ACTION_MERGE.name)) {
       throw this._createError("Pull request is not marked as merge ready.");
     }
@@ -59911,9 +59914,6 @@ var Validation9 = class extends PullRequestValidation {
 var pendingStateValidation = createPullRequestValidation({ name: "assertPending", canBeForceIgnored: false }, () => Validation10);
 var Validation10 = class extends PullRequestValidation {
   assert(pullRequest) {
-    if (pullRequest.isDraft) {
-      throw this._createError("Pull request is still a draft.");
-    }
     switch (pullRequest.state) {
       case "CLOSED":
         throw this._createError("Pull request is already closed.");
@@ -64515,7 +64515,7 @@ async function main() {
     await cloneRepoIntoTmpLocation({ owner, repo });
     const pullRequest = await loadAndValidatePullRequest({ git, config }, pr, createPullRequestValidationConfig({
       assertSignedCla: true,
-      assertMergeReady: true,
+      assertMergeReady: false,
       assertPending: false,
       assertChangesAllowForTargetLabel: false,
       assertPassingCi: false,
diff --git a/ng-dev/pr/common/validation/assert-merge-ready.ts b/ng-dev/pr/common/validation/assert-merge-ready.ts
index 96df71a99..a5377dca9 100644
--- a/ng-dev/pr/common/validation/assert-merge-ready.ts
+++ b/ng-dev/pr/common/validation/assert-merge-ready.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ export const mergeReadyValidation = createPullRequestValidation(
 
 class Validation extends PullRequestValidation {
   assert(pullRequest: PullRequestFromGithub) {
+    if (pullRequest.isDraft) {
+      throw this._createError('Pull request is still a draft.');
+    }
     if (!pullRequest.labels.nodes.some(({name}) => name === actionLabels.ACTION_MERGE.name)) {
       throw this._createError('Pull request is not marked as merge ready.');
     }
diff --git a/ng-dev/pr/common/validation/assert-pending.ts b/ng-dev/pr/common/validation/assert-pending.ts
index 2ec8f2e55..99be05fb6 100644
--- a/ng-dev/pr/common/validation/assert-pending.ts
+++ b/ng-dev/pr/common/validation/assert-pending.ts
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ export const pendingStateValidation = createPullRequestValidation(
 
 class Validation extends PullRequestValidation {
   assert(pullRequest: PullRequestFromGithub) {
-    if (pullRequest.isDraft) {
-      throw this._createError('Pull request is still a draft.');
-    }
     switch (pullRequest.state) {
       case 'CLOSED':
         throw this._createError('Pull request is already closed.');