diff --git a/.backportrc.json b/.backportrc.json
index f12fe2dba1..2275c52dfb 100644
--- a/.backportrc.json
+++ b/.backportrc.json
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@
     "multipleCommits": true,
     "prTitle": "{commitMessages} backport for {targetBranch}",
     "targetBranchChoices": [
-        { "name": "7.16", "checked": true },
-        { "name": "7.15", "checked": true },
-        { "name": "7.14", "checked": true }
+        { "name": "8.1", "checked": true },
+        { "name": "8.0", "checked": true },
+        { "name": "7.17", "checked": true }
     ],
     "targetPRLabels": ["backport"],
     "upstream": "elastic/e2e-testing"
diff --git a/.ci/e2eTestingFleetDaily.groovy b/.ci/e2eTestingFleetDaily.groovy
index 27a47bc1f7..9655599bb7 100644
--- a/.ci/e2eTestingFleetDaily.groovy
+++ b/.ci/e2eTestingFleetDaily.groovy
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@ pipeline {
     rateLimitBuilds(throttle: [count: 60, durationName: 'hour', userBoost: true])
     quietPeriod(10)
   }
-  triggers {
-    cron('H H(4-5) * * 1-5')
-  }
   stages {
     stage('Run Tests') {
       steps {
diff --git a/.ci/e2eTestingHelmDaily.groovy b/.ci/e2eTestingHelmDaily.groovy
index fa530380c7..6a872bf205 100644
--- a/.ci/e2eTestingHelmDaily.groovy
+++ b/.ci/e2eTestingHelmDaily.groovy
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@ pipeline {
     rateLimitBuilds(throttle: [count: 60, durationName: 'hour', userBoost: true])
     quietPeriod(10)
   }
-  triggers {
-    cron('H H(4-5) * * 1-5')
-  }
   stages {
     stage('Run Tests') {
       steps {
diff --git a/.ci/e2eTestingK8SAutodiscoveryDaily.groovy b/.ci/e2eTestingK8SAutodiscoveryDaily.groovy
index 50cde37655..82f2657709 100644
--- a/.ci/e2eTestingK8SAutodiscoveryDaily.groovy
+++ b/.ci/e2eTestingK8SAutodiscoveryDaily.groovy
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@ pipeline {
     rateLimitBuilds(throttle: [count: 60, durationName: 'hour', userBoost: true])
     quietPeriod(10)
   }
-  triggers {
-    cron('H H(4-5) * * 1-5')
-  }
   stages {
     stage('Run Tests') {
       steps {
diff --git a/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-fleet-daily-mbp.yml b/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-fleet-daily-mbp.yml
index f0910384c3..60b277f42f 100644
--- a/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-fleet-daily-mbp.yml
+++ b/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-fleet-daily-mbp.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     scm:
       - github:
           branch-discovery: no-pr
-          head-filter-regex: '(main|8\.0|7\.16|7\.15)'
+          head-filter-regex: '(main|8\.\d|7\.17|7\.16)'
           discover-pr-forks-strategy: merge-current
           discover-pr-forks-trust: permission
           discover-pr-origin: merge-current
diff --git a/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-helm-daily-mbp.yml b/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-helm-daily-mbp.yml
index c74045b5c0..1138750fc4 100644
--- a/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-helm-daily-mbp.yml
+++ b/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-helm-daily-mbp.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     scm:
       - github:
           branch-discovery: no-pr
-          head-filter-regex: '(main|8\.0|7\.16|7\.15)'
+          head-filter-regex: '(main|8\.\d|7\.17|7\.16)'
           discover-pr-forks-strategy: merge-current
           discover-pr-forks-trust: permission
           discover-pr-origin: merge-current
diff --git a/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-k8s-autodiscovery-daily-mbp.yml b/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-k8s-autodiscovery-daily-mbp.yml
index a279323e36..53685435a2 100644
--- a/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-k8s-autodiscovery-daily-mbp.yml
+++ b/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-k8s-autodiscovery-daily-mbp.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     scm:
       - github:
           branch-discovery: no-pr
-          head-filter-regex: '(main|8\.0|7\.16|7\.15)'
+          head-filter-regex: '(main|8\.\d|7\.17|7\.16)'
           discover-pr-forks-strategy: merge-current
           discover-pr-forks-trust: permission
           discover-pr-origin: merge-current
diff --git a/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-schedule-daily.yml b/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-schedule-daily.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cd08898c46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci/jobs/e2e-testing-schedule-daily.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+---
+- job:
+    name: e2e-tests/e2e-testing-schedule-daily
+    display-name: Jobs scheduled daily (weekdays)
+    description: Jobs scheduled daily (weekdays)
+    view: E2E
+    project-type: pipeline
+    parameters:
+      - string:
+          name: branch_specifier
+          default: main
+          description: the Git branch specifier to build
+    pipeline-scm:
+      script-path: .ci/schedule-daily.groovy
+      scm:
+        - git:
+            url: git@github.com:elastic/e2e-testing.git
+            refspec: +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
+            wipe-workspace: 'True'
+            name: origin
+            shallow-clone: true
+            credentials-id: f6c7695a-671e-4f4f-a331-acdce44ff9ba
+            branches:
+              - $branch_specifier
+    triggers:
+      - timed: 'H H(2-3) * * 1-5'
diff --git a/.ci/schedule-daily.groovy b/.ci/schedule-daily.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aff8e8cd2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci/schedule-daily.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+@Library('apm@current') _
+
+pipeline {
+  agent none
+  environment {
+    NOTIFY_TO = credentials('notify-to')
+    PIPELINE_LOG_LEVEL = 'INFO'
+  }
+  options {
+    timeout(time: 1, unit: 'HOURS')
+    buildDiscarder(logRotator(numToKeepStr: '20', artifactNumToKeepStr: '20'))
+    timestamps()
+    ansiColor('xterm')
+    disableResume()
+    durabilityHint('PERFORMANCE_OPTIMIZED')
+  }
+  triggers {
+    cron('H H(4-5) * * 1-5')
+  }
+  stages {
+    stage('Nighly e2e builds') {
+      steps {
+        runBuilds(quietPeriodFactor: 100, branches: ['main', '8.<minor>', '8.<next-patch>', '7.<minor>'])
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  post {
+    cleanup {
+      notifyBuildResult(prComment: false)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+def runBuilds(Map args = [:]) {
+  def branches = getBranchesFromAliases(aliases: args.branches)
+
+  def quietPeriod = 0
+  branches.each { branch ->
+    build(quietPeriod: quietPeriod, job: "e2e-tests/e2e-testing-fleet-daily-mbp/${branch}", wait: false, propagate: false)
+    build(quietPeriod: quietPeriod, job: "e2e-tests/e2e-testing-helm-daily-mbp/${branch}", wait: false, propagate: false)
+    build(quietPeriod: quietPeriod, job: "e2e-tests/e2e-testing-k8s-autodiscovery-daily-mbp/${branch}", wait: false, propagate: false)
+    // Increate the quiet period for the next iteration
+    quietPeriod += args.quietPeriodFactor
+  }
+}
diff --git a/.mergify.yml b/.mergify.yml
index 881a952aa2..1fe7ebe277 100644
--- a/.mergify.yml
+++ b/.mergify.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,18 @@ pull_request_rules:
             git merge upstream/{{base}}
             git push upstream {{head}}
             ```
+  - name: backport patches to 8.1 branch
+    conditions:
+      - merged
+      - base=main
+      - label=backport-v8.1.0
+    actions:
+      backport:
+        assignees:
+          - "{{ author }}"
+        branches:
+          - "8.1"
+        title: "[{{ destination_branch }}](backport #{{ number }}) {{ title }}"
   - name: backport patches to 8.0 branch
     conditions:
       - merged
@@ -30,17 +42,17 @@ pull_request_rules:
         branches:
           - "8.0"
         title: "[{{ destination_branch }}](backport #{{ number }}) {{ title }}"
-  - name: backport patches to 7.16 branch
+  - name: backport patches to 7.17 branch
     conditions:
       - merged
       - base=main
-      - label=backport-v7.16.0
+      - label=backport-v7.17.0
     actions:
       backport:
         assignees:
           - "{{ author }}"
         branches:
-          - "7.16"
+          - "7.17"
         title: "[{{ destination_branch }}](backport #{{ number }}) {{ title }}"
   - name: backport patches to 7.15 branch
     conditions: