diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index 7cccf02203..81a6129130 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
       "runtimeArgs": ["start"],
       "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/web",
       "resolveSourceMapLocations": ["${workspaceFolder}/web/**", "!**/node_modules/**"],
+      "envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/.env",
       "skipFiles": ["<node_internals>/**"]
     }
   ]
diff --git a/server/pipeline/approve.go b/server/pipeline/approve.go
index 2755912913..6f38c2a2b5 100644
--- a/server/pipeline/approve.go
+++ b/server/pipeline/approve.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 
-	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/errors"
 	forge_types "go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/server/forge/types"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/server/model"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/server/store"
@@ -51,12 +50,10 @@ func Approve(ctx context.Context, store store.Store, currentPipeline *model.Pipe
 	}
 
 	currentPipeline, pipelineItems, err := createPipelineItems(ctx, store, currentPipeline, user, repo, yamls, nil)
-	if errors.HasBlockingErrors(err) {
+	if err != nil {
 		msg := fmt.Sprintf("failure to createPipelineItems for %s", repo.FullName)
 		log.Error().Err(err).Msg(msg)
-		return nil, err
-	} else if err != nil {
-		currentPipeline.Errors = errors.GetPipelineErrors(err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(msg)
 	}
 
 	currentPipeline, err = start(ctx, store, currentPipeline, user, repo, pipelineItems)
diff --git a/server/pipeline/items.go b/server/pipeline/items.go
index 02026c9303..a51a1ee7a6 100644
--- a/server/pipeline/items.go
+++ b/server/pipeline/items.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func createPipelineItems(c context.Context, store store.Store,
 	yamls []*forge_types.FileMeta, envs map[string]string,
 ) (*model.Pipeline, []*pipeline.Item, error) {
 	pipelineItems, err := parsePipeline(store, currentPipeline, user, repo, yamls, envs)
-	if err != nil {
+	if pipeline_errors.HasBlockingErrors(err) {
 		currentPipeline, uerr := UpdateToStatusError(store, *currentPipeline, err)
 		if uerr != nil {
 			log.Error().Err(uerr).Msgf("Error setting error status of pipeline for %s#%d", repo.FullName, currentPipeline.Number)
@@ -99,9 +99,10 @@ func createPipelineItems(c context.Context, store store.Store,
 			updatePipelineStatus(c, currentPipeline, repo, user)
 		}
 
-		if pipeline_errors.HasBlockingErrors(err) {
-			return currentPipeline, nil, err
-		}
+		return currentPipeline, nil, err
+	} else if err != nil {
+		currentPipeline.Errors = pipeline_errors.GetPipelineErrors(err)
+		err = updatePipelinePending(c, store, currentPipeline, repo, user)
 	}
 
 	currentPipeline = setPipelineStepsOnPipeline(currentPipeline, pipelineItems)