diff --git a/.pullapprove.yml b/.pullapprove.yml
index 2e537542e5..7ca81dbb9a 100644
--- a/.pullapprove.yml
+++ b/.pullapprove.yml
@@ -1162,6 +1162,8 @@ groups:
   public-api:
     <<: *defaults
     conditions:
+      - *no-groups-above-this-pending
+      - *no-groups-above-this-rejected
       - *can-be-global-approved
       - >
         contains_any_globs(files, [
@@ -1194,6 +1196,8 @@ groups:
   size-tracking:
     <<: *defaults
     conditions:
+      - *no-groups-above-this-pending
+      - *no-groups-above-this-rejected
       - *can-be-global-approved
       - >
         contains_any_globs(files, [
@@ -1220,6 +1224,8 @@ groups:
   circular-dependencies:
     <<: *defaults
     conditions:
+      - *no-groups-above-this-pending
+      - *no-groups-above-this-rejected
       - *can-be-global-approved
       - >
         contains_any_globs(files, [