diff --git a/docs/docs/91-migrations.md b/docs/docs/91-migrations.md
index 2fb7974ec0..abe61a830c 100644
--- a/docs/docs/91-migrations.md
+++ b/docs/docs/91-migrations.md
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ Some versions need some changes to the server configuration or the pipeline conf
 ## next (1.1.0)
 
 - Drop deprecated `CI_BUILD_*`, `CI_PREV_BUILD_*`, `CI_JOB_*`, `*_LINK`, `CI_SYSTEM_ARCH`, `CI_REPO_REMOTE` built-in environment variables
+- Drop deprecated `pipeline:` keyword for steps in yaml config
+- Drop deprecated `branches:` keyword for global branch filter
 
 ## 1.0.0
 
diff --git a/pipeline/frontend/yaml/parse.go b/pipeline/frontend/yaml/parse.go
index 10bfb2d3d2..510f273f77 100644
--- a/pipeline/frontend/yaml/parse.go
+++ b/pipeline/frontend/yaml/parse.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 
 	"codeberg.org/6543/xyaml"
 
-	"github.com/woodpecker-ci/woodpecker/pipeline/frontend/yaml/constraint"
 	"github.com/woodpecker-ci/woodpecker/pipeline/frontend/yaml/types"
 )
 
@@ -17,23 +16,15 @@ func ParseBytes(b []byte) (*types.Workflow, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// support deprecated branch filter
+	// fail hard on deprecated branch filter
 	if out.BranchesDontUseIt != nil {
-		if out.When.Constraints == nil {
-			out.When.Constraints = []constraint.Constraint{{Branch: *out.BranchesDontUseIt}}
-		} else if len(out.When.Constraints) == 1 && out.When.Constraints[0].Branch.IsEmpty() {
-			out.When.Constraints[0].Branch = *out.BranchesDontUseIt
-		} else {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not apply deprecated branches filter into global when filter")
-		}
-		out.BranchesDontUseIt = nil
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("\"branches:\" filter got removed, use \"branch\" in global when filter")
 	}
 
-	// support deprecated pipeline keyword
-	if len(out.PipelineDontUseIt.ContainerList) != 0 && len(out.Steps.ContainerList) == 0 {
-		out.Steps.ContainerList = out.PipelineDontUseIt.ContainerList
+	// fail hard on deprecated pipeline keyword
+	if len(out.PipelineDontUseIt.ContainerList) != 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("\"pipeline:\" got removed, user \"steps:\"")
 	}
-	out.PipelineDontUseIt.ContainerList = nil
 
 	return out, nil
 }
diff --git a/pipeline/frontend/yaml/parse_test.go b/pipeline/frontend/yaml/parse_test.go
index d72eaef38f..3f0aed096b 100644
--- a/pipeline/frontend/yaml/parse_test.go
+++ b/pipeline/frontend/yaml/parse_test.go
@@ -125,23 +125,27 @@ func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestParseLegacy(t *testing.T) {
+	// adjust with https://github.com/woodpecker-ci/woodpecker/pull/2181
 	sampleYamlPipelineLegacy := `
-pipeline:
+platform: linux/amd64
+labels:
+  platform: linux/arm64
+
+steps:
   say hello:
     image: bash
     commands: echo hello
 `
 
 	sampleYamlPipelineLegacyIgnore := `
+platform: linux/amd64
+labels:
+  platform: linux/arm64
+
 steps:
   say hello:
     image: bash
     commands: echo hello
-
-pipeline:
-  old crap:
-    image: bash
-    commands: meh!
 `
 
 	workflow1, err := ParseString(sampleYamlPipelineLegacy)
diff --git a/pipeline/stepBuilder_test.go b/pipeline/stepBuilder_test.go
index a0ebc1b7c9..f875f59d32 100644
--- a/pipeline/stepBuilder_test.go
+++ b/pipeline/stepBuilder_test.go
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ steps:
 	}
 }
 
-func TestBranchFilter(t *testing.T) {
+func TestRootWhenBranchFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	b := StepBuilder{
@@ -307,7 +307,8 @@ func TestBranchFilter(t *testing.T) {
 steps:
   xxx:
     image: scratch
-branches: main
+when:
+  branch: main
 `)},
 			{Data: []byte(`
 steps: