diff --git a/cmd/server/grpc_server.go b/cmd/server/grpc_server.go
index f983bb15852..06bdd4cb2de 100644
--- a/cmd/server/grpc_server.go
+++ b/cmd/server/grpc_server.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ func runGrpcServer(ctx context.Context, c *cli.Command, _store store.Store) erro
 	)
 
 	woodpeckerServer := woodpeckerGrpcServer.NewWoodpeckerServer(
+		ctx,
 		server.Config.Services.Queue,
 		server.Config.Services.Logs,
 		server.Config.Services.Pubsub,
diff --git a/server/grpc/filter.go b/server/grpc/filter.go
index 521aeb91226..16e955172c2 100644
--- a/server/grpc/filter.go
+++ b/server/grpc/filter.go
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ import (
 
 func createFilterFunc(agentFilter rpc.Filter) queue.FilterFn {
 	return func(task *model.Task) (bool, int) {
+		// don't return tasks who are not ready jet
+		if !task.ShouldRun() {
+			return false, 0
+		}
+
 		score := 0
 		for taskLabel, taskLabelValue := range task.Labels {
 			// if a task label is empty it will be ignored
diff --git a/server/grpc/filter_test.go b/server/grpc/filter_test.go
index e074f797f7d..47b249627eb 100644
--- a/server/grpc/filter_test.go
+++ b/server/grpc/filter_test.go
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ func TestCreateFilterFunc(t *testing.T) {
 				Labels: map[string]string{"org-id": "123", "platform": "windows"},
 			},
 			wantMatched: false,
-			wantScore:   0,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "No match",
@@ -73,7 +72,6 @@ func TestCreateFilterFunc(t *testing.T) {
 				Labels: map[string]string{"org-id": "123", "platform": "windows"},
 			},
 			wantMatched: false,
-			wantScore:   0,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Missing label",
@@ -84,7 +82,6 @@ func TestCreateFilterFunc(t *testing.T) {
 				Labels: map[string]string{"needed": "some"},
 			},
 			wantMatched: false,
-			wantScore:   0,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Empty task labels",
@@ -119,6 +116,15 @@ func TestCreateFilterFunc(t *testing.T) {
 			wantMatched: true,
 			wantScore:   2,
 		},
+		{
+			name:        "dont match task not ready to run",
+			agentFilter: rpc.Filter{},
+			task: &model.Task{
+				Labels: map[string]string{"org-id": "123", "platform": "linux"},
+				RunOn:  []string{"success"},
+			},
+			wantMatched: false,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
diff --git a/server/grpc/rpc.go b/server/grpc/rpc.go
index 9297f350230..df8519ec099 100644
--- a/server/grpc/rpc.go
+++ b/server/grpc/rpc.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import (
 const updateAgentLastWorkDelay = time.Minute
 
 type RPC struct {
+	ctx           context.Context
 	queue         queue.Queue
 	pubsub        *pubsub.Publisher
 	logger        logging.Log
@@ -81,24 +82,14 @@ func (s *RPC) Next(c context.Context, agentFilter rpc.Filter) (*rpc.Workflow, er
 
 	filterFn := createFilterFunc(agentFilter)
 
-	for {
-		// poll blocks until a task is available or the context is canceled / worker is kicked
-		task, err := s.queue.Poll(c, agent.ID, filterFn)
-		if err != nil || task == nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		if task.ShouldRun() {
-			workflow := new(rpc.Workflow)
-			err = json.Unmarshal(task.Data, workflow)
-			return workflow, err
-		}
-
-		// task should not run, so mark it as done
-		if err := s.Done(c, task.ID, rpc.WorkflowState{}); err != nil {
-			log.Error().Err(err).Msgf("marking workflow task '%s' as done failed", task.ID)
-		}
+	// poll blocks until a task is available or the context is canceled / worker is kicked
+	task, err := s.queue.Poll(c, agent.ID, filterFn)
+	if err != nil || task == nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
+
+	workflow := new(rpc.Workflow)
+	return workflow, json.Unmarshal(task.Data, workflow)
 }
 
 // Wait blocks until the workflow with the given ID is done.
diff --git a/server/grpc/server.go b/server/grpc/server.go
index 2cfa8548a19..cc4c015f5fe 100644
--- a/server/grpc/server.go
+++ b/server/grpc/server.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/rpc"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/rpc/proto"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/server/logging"
+	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/server/model"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/server/pubsub"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/server/queue"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/server/store"
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ type WoodpeckerServer struct {
 	peer RPC
 }
 
-func NewWoodpeckerServer(queue queue.Queue, logger logging.Log, pubsub *pubsub.Publisher, store store.Store) proto.WoodpeckerServer {
+func NewWoodpeckerServer(ctx context.Context, queue queue.Queue, logger logging.Log, pubsub *pubsub.Publisher, store store.Store) proto.WoodpeckerServer {
 	pipelineTime := prometheus_auto.NewGaugeVec(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
 		Namespace: "woodpecker",
 		Name:      "pipeline_time",
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ func NewWoodpeckerServer(queue queue.Queue, logger logging.Log, pubsub *pubsub.P
 		Help:      "Pipeline count.",
 	}, []string{"repo", "branch", "status", "pipeline"})
 	peer := RPC{
+		ctx:           ctx,
 		store:         store,
 		queue:         queue,
 		pubsub:        pubsub,
@@ -56,7 +58,32 @@ func NewWoodpeckerServer(queue queue.Queue, logger logging.Log, pubsub *pubsub.P
 		pipelineTime:  pipelineTime,
 		pipelineCount: pipelineCount,
 	}
-	return &WoodpeckerServer{peer: peer}
+	rpcServer := &WoodpeckerServer{peer: peer}
+	go rpcServer.markSkippedDone()
+	return rpcServer
+}
+
+// mark skipped tasks done, based on dependencies.
+// TODO: find better place for this background service
+func (s *WoodpeckerServer) markSkippedDone() {
+	for {
+		task, err := s.peer.queue.Poll(s.peer.ctx, queue.InternalWorkerID, func(t *model.Task) (bool, int) {
+			return !t.ShouldRun(), 0
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error().Err(err).Msg("got error while polling for tasks that should be skipped")
+			continue
+		}
+		if task == nil {
+			log.Error().Msg("queue poll returned nil task")
+			continue
+		}
+
+		log.Trace().Msgf("mark skipped task '%s' as done", task.String())
+		if err := s.peer.Done(s.peer.ctx, task.ID, rpc.WorkflowState{}); err != nil {
+			log.Error().Err(err).Msgf("marking workflow task '%s' as done failed", task.ID)
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func (s *WoodpeckerServer) Version(_ context.Context, _ *proto.Empty) (*proto.VersionResponse, error) {
diff --git a/server/pipeline/stepbuilder/stepBuilder.go b/server/pipeline/stepbuilder/stepBuilder.go
index 8cf43760689..4fbde9e0875 100644
--- a/server/pipeline/stepbuilder/stepBuilder.go
+++ b/server/pipeline/stepbuilder/stepBuilder.go
@@ -240,12 +240,13 @@ func (b *StepBuilder) environmentVariables(metadata metadata.Metadata, axis matr
 	return environ
 }
 
-func (b *StepBuilder) toInternalRepresentation(parsed *yaml_types.Workflow, environ map[string]string, metadata metadata.Metadata, workflowID int64) (*backend_types.Config, error) {
-	var secrets []compiler.Secret
-	for _, sec := range b.Secs {
-		var events []string
-		for _, event := range sec.Events {
-			events = append(events, string(event))
+func toCompilerSecrets(in []*model.Secret) []compiler.Secret {
+	secrets := make([]compiler.Secret, 0, len(in))
+
+	for _, sec := range in {
+		events := make([]string, len(sec.Events))
+		for i, event := range sec.Events {
+			events[i] = string(event)
 		}
 
 		secrets = append(secrets, compiler.Secret{
@@ -256,14 +257,24 @@ func (b *StepBuilder) toInternalRepresentation(parsed *yaml_types.Workflow, envi
 		})
 	}
 
-	var registries []compiler.Registry
-	for _, reg := range b.Regs {
+	return secrets
+}
+
+func toCompilerRegistries(in []*model.Registry) []compiler.Registry {
+	registries := make([]compiler.Registry, 0, len(in))
+	for _, reg := range in {
 		registries = append(registries, compiler.Registry{
 			Hostname: reg.Address,
 			Username: reg.Username,
 			Password: reg.Password,
 		})
 	}
+	return registries
+}
+
+func (b *StepBuilder) toInternalRepresentation(parsed *yaml_types.Workflow, environ map[string]string, metadata metadata.Metadata, workflowID int64) (*backend_types.Config, error) {
+	secrets := toCompilerSecrets(b.Secs)
+	registries := toCompilerRegistries(b.Regs)
 
 	return compiler.New(
 		compiler.WithEnviron(environ),
diff --git a/server/queue/fifo.go b/server/queue/fifo.go
index f924055ad5b..9054b65a3a7 100644
--- a/server/queue/fifo.go
+++ b/server/queue/fifo.go
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ import (
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/shared/constant"
 )
 
+// InternalWorkerID is pseudo agent ID for internal routines using the queue.
+const InternalWorkerID = -2
+
 type entry struct {
 	item     *model.Task
 	done     chan bool
@@ -213,7 +216,13 @@ func (q *fifo) Extend(_ context.Context, agentID int64, taskID string) error {
 func (q *fifo) Info(_ context.Context) InfoT {
 	q.Lock()
 	stats := InfoT{}
-	stats.Stats.Workers = len(q.workers)
+	workerCount := 0
+	for w := range q.workers {
+		if w.agentID != InternalWorkerID { // ignore internal workers
+			workerCount++
+		}
+	}
+	stats.Stats.Workers = workerCount
 	stats.Stats.Pending = q.pending.Len()
 	stats.Stats.WaitingOnDeps = q.waitingOnDeps.Len()
 	stats.Stats.Running = len(q.running)
@@ -251,6 +260,10 @@ func (q *fifo) Resume() {
 
 // KickAgentWorkers kicks all workers for a given agent.
 func (q *fifo) KickAgentWorkers(agentID int64) {
+	if agentID == InternalWorkerID {
+		return
+	}
+
 	q.Lock()
 	defer q.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/server/queue/queue.go b/server/queue/queue.go
index 682d0e0ac5a..ac97a83f8eb 100644
--- a/server/queue/queue.go
+++ b/server/queue/queue.go
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ type Queue interface {
 	PushAtOnce(c context.Context, tasks []*model.Task) error
 
 	// Poll retrieves and removes a task head of this queue.
+	// blocks until a task is available or the context is canceled
 	Poll(c context.Context, agentID int64, f FilterFn) (*model.Task, error)
 
 	// Extend extends the deadline for a task.