diff --git a/vars/daosPackagesVersion.groovy b/vars/daosPackagesVersion.groovy
index 85ebbbf71..a3f6b3cb4 100644
--- a/vars/daosPackagesVersion.groovy
+++ b/vars/daosPackagesVersion.groovy
@@ -58,8 +58,10 @@ String call(String distro, String next_version) {
     String target_branch = env.CHANGE_TARGET ? env.CHANGE_TARGET : env.BRANCH_NAME
 
     if (target_branch.startsWith("weekly-testing") ||
-        target_branch.startsWith("provider-testing")) {
-        // weekly-test just wants the latest for the branch
+        target_branch.startsWith("provider-testing") ||
+        startedByTimer()) {
+        // weekly-test, provider-testing and timed builds just wants the latest
+        // for the branch
         if (rpm_version_cache != "" && rpm_version_cache != "locked") {
             return rpm_version_cache + rpm_dist(distro)
         }
diff --git a/vars/daosRepos.groovy b/vars/daosRepos.groovy
index c296f4d93..cc05f5b62 100644
--- a/vars/daosRepos.groovy
+++ b/vars/daosRepos.groovy
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ String daos_repo() {
     String target_branch = env.CHANGE_TARGET ? env.CHANGE_TARGET : env.BRANCH_NAME
 
     if (target_branch.startsWith("weekly-testing") ||
-        target_branch.startsWith("provider-testing")) {
+        target_branch.startsWith("provider-testing") ||
+        startedByTimer()) {
         return ""
     }
 
diff --git a/vars/provisionNodes.groovy b/vars/provisionNodes.groovy
index 46eb80215..addc2b7c8 100644
--- a/vars/provisionNodes.groovy
+++ b/vars/provisionNodes.groovy
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ def call(Map config = [:]) {
                       'INST_REPOS="' + inst_repos + '" ' +
                       'INST_RPMS="' + inst_rpms + '" ' +
                       'GPG_KEY_URLS="' + gpg_key_urls.join(' ') + '" ' +
+                      'TIMED_JOB=' + startedByTimer() + ' ' +
                       'ci/provisioning/post_provision_config.sh'
   new_config['post_restore'] = provision_script
   try {
diff --git a/vars/skipStage.groovy b/vars/skipStage.groovy
index ebb0a6a92..db1f77da5 100644
--- a/vars/skipStage.groovy
+++ b/vars/skipStage.groovy
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ boolean call(Map config = [:]) {
             return docOnlyChange(target_branch) ||
                    target_branch == 'weekly-testing' ||
                    rpmTestVersion() != '' ||
-                   quickBuild()
+                   quickBuild() ||
+                   startedByTimer()
         case "checkpatch":
             return skip_stage_pragma('checkpatch')
         case "Python Bandit check":
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ boolean call(Map config = [:]) {
                    (docOnlyChange(target_branch) &&
                     prRepos('centos7') == '') ||
                     prRepos('centos7').contains('daos@') ||
+                   startedByTimer() ||
                    skip_stage_pragma('build-centos7-rpm')
         case "Build RPM on EL 8":
         case "Build RPM on CentOS 8":
@@ -168,6 +170,7 @@ boolean call(Map config = [:]) {
                    (docOnlyChange(target_branch) &&
                     prRepos('el8') == '') ||
                    prRepos('el8').contains('daos@') ||
+                   startedByTimer() ||
                    skip_stage_pragma('build-el8-rpm')
         case "Build RPM on Leap 15":
             return paramsValue('CI_RPM_leap15_NOBUILD', false) ||
@@ -175,6 +178,7 @@ boolean call(Map config = [:]) {
                    (docOnlyChange(target_branch) &&
                     prRepos('leap15') == '') ||
                    prRepos('leap15').contains('daos@') ||
+                   startedByTimer() ||
                    skip_stage_pragma('build-leap15-rpm')
         case "Build DEB on Ubuntu 20.04":
             return paramsValue('CI_RPM_ubuntu20_NOBUILD', false) ||
@@ -182,6 +186,7 @@ boolean call(Map config = [:]) {
                    (docOnlyChange(target_branch) &&
                     prRepos('ubuntu20') == '') ||
                    prRepos('ubuntu20').contains('daos@') ||
+                   startedByTimer() ||
                    skip_stage_pragma('build-ubuntu20-rpm')
         case "Build on CentOS 8":
         case "Build on EL 8":
diff --git a/vars/startedByTimer.groovy b/vars/startedByTimer.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..994a0b953
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/startedByTimer.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/* groovylint-disable VariableName */
+// vars/startedByTimer.groovy
+
+/**
+ * Return True the build was started by a timer
+ */
+Boolean call() {
+
+  Boolean simulate_timed_job = cachedCommitPragma('Simulate-timed-job') == 'true'
+
+  if (simulate_timed_job) {
+      println('Simulating timed job behaviour')
+  }
+
+  return simulate_timed_job ||
+         /* groovylint-disable-next-line UnnecessaryGetter */
+         currentBuild.getBuildCauses().toString().contains('hudson.triggers.TimerTrigger$TimerTriggerCause')
+
+}
diff --git a/vars/startedByUser.groovy b/vars/startedByUser.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cfa8f6558
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/startedByUser.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// vars/startedByUser.groovy
+
+/**
+ * Return True if the build was caused by a User (I.e. Build Now)
+ */
+Boolean call(Map config = [:]) {
+
+  /* groovylint-disable-next-line UnnecessaryGetter */
+  return currentBuild.getBuildCauses().toString().contains('hudson.model.Cause$UserIdCause')
+
+}