diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index a4fd5ed7..cda29240 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ tests:
     script:
         - "CFLAGS=-fsanitize=address LDFLAGS=-fsanitize=address OPTIM=0 make check || exit 1"
 
+checkversions:
+    stage: test
+    allow_failure: true
+    script:
+        - "make -C 3rdparty/ checkversions && test ! -f 3rdparty/check-version-failed || exit 1"
+
 job_linux:
     stage: build
     before_script:
@@ -27,7 +33,6 @@ job_linux:
         - "make docarchive || exit 1"
     after_script:
         - "echo $CI_JOB_ID > LINUX_JOB_ID"
-        - "cd 3rdparty; make checkversions"
     artifacts:
         paths:
             - "*.zip"
diff --git a/3rdparty/Makefile b/3rdparty/Makefile
index 714300b0..caa9c089 100644
--- a/3rdparty/Makefile
+++ b/3rdparty/Makefile
@@ -650,7 +650,10 @@ checkversion-%:
 	@echo "checking $* version"
 	$(eval PKG := $(shell echo $* | tr a-z A-Z))
 	$(eval LATEST := $(LATEST$(PKG)VER))
-	@if [ -z "$(LATEST)" ] ; then echo "failed to retrieve latest version of $*" ; \
-	elif [ "$($(PKG)VER)" != "$(LATEST)" ] ; \
-	  then echo "$* $($(PKG)VER) is outdated, latest version is $(LATEST)" ; \
+	@if [ -z "$(LATEST)" ] ; then \
+	  echo "failed to retrieve latest version of $*" ; \
+	  touch check-version-failed ; \
+	elif [ "$($(PKG)VER)" != "$(LATEST)" ] ; then \
+	  echo "$* $($(PKG)VER) is outdated, latest version is $(LATEST)" ; \
+	  touch check-version-failed ; \
 	fi