diff --git a/.ci/test_template.sh b/.ci/test_template.sh
index 6e42a718232edc7b22daec8fcf39cc0570fef00a..7880223dcaaa2198582cddbbbb04683eb442b6af 100644
--- a/.ci/test_template.sh
+++ b/.ci/test_template.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ set -e
 # which gitlab CE does not currently do for us.
 if [[ "$CI_PROJECT_PATH" != "$UPSTREAM_PROJECT" ]]; then
   git fetch upstream;
-  git merge --no-commit --no-ff upstream/master;
+  git merge --no-commit --no-ff -s recursive -X ours upstream/master;
 fi;
 
 source /test.venv/bin/activate