diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 88665be..53d1469 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Lassie
 
 > :dog: Lassie loves :hotdog: `s and her doghouse is in the garden of Gitlab,
- but as a Rough Collie she has more to offer:
+> but as a Rough Collie she has more to offer:
 
 - She can check your progress on Merge-Requests, merge them and hand out treats for diligent contributors
 - More to come ...
@@ -53,13 +53,30 @@ helm delete my-lassie-bot-dog
 
 Lassie can be controlled with a config file. To enable lassie for a project you have to create this file called `lassie.json` at the top-level of the repository.
 
-```json5
+```json
 {
   "$schema": "https://geprog.github.io/lassie-bot-dog/lassie.schema.json",
   "plugins": {
     "auto_merge": {
       "squash": true,
-      "neededLabels": ["👀 Ready for Review"]
+      "neededLabels": ["👀 Ready for Review"],
+      "neededApprovals": [
+        {
+          "label": "*",
+          "users": ["maintainer", "maintainer-2"],
+          "atLeast": 1
+        }
+      ],
+      // "ignoredChecks": [
+      //   "has-assignee",
+      //   "has-labels",
+      //   "passes-ci",
+      //   "is-title-using-conventional-commit",
+      //   "is-not-work-in-progress",
+      //   "has-no-open-discussions",
+      //   "has-conflicts",
+      //   "has-enough-approvals"
+      // ]
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/config/lassie.schema.json b/config/lassie.schema.json
index 1ca20b3..b345140 100644
--- a/config/lassie.schema.json
+++ b/config/lassie.schema.json
@@ -59,6 +59,15 @@
               },
               "minItems": 1,
               "uniqueItems": true
+            },
+            "ignoredChecks": {
+              "description": "Checks that are ignored when auto merging",
+              "type": "array",
+              "items": {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              "minItems": 1,
+              "uniqueItems": true
             }
           }
         }
diff --git a/plugins/auto_merge/config/auto_merge_config.go b/plugins/auto_merge/config/auto_merge_config.go
index f25af47..19003e0 100644
--- a/plugins/auto_merge/config/auto_merge_config.go
+++ b/plugins/auto_merge/config/auto_merge_config.go
@@ -10,4 +10,5 @@ type AutoMergeConfig struct {
 	Squash          bool             `json:"squash"`
 	NeededLabels    []string         `json:"neededLabels"`
 	NeededApprovals []NeededApproval `json:"neededApprovals"`
+	IgnoredChecks   []string         `json:"ignoredChecks"`
 }
diff --git a/plugins/auto_merge/merge_checks.go b/plugins/auto_merge/merge_checks.go
index b91bc5e..988ec37 100644
--- a/plugins/auto_merge/merge_checks.go
+++ b/plugins/auto_merge/merge_checks.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package auto_merge
 import (
 	"github.com/GEPROG/lassie-bot-dog/plugins/auto_merge/checks"
 	"github.com/GEPROG/lassie-bot-dog/plugins/auto_merge/config"
+	"github.com/GEPROG/lassie-bot-dog/utils"
 	"github.com/xanzy/go-gitlab"
 )
 
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ type mergeStatus struct {
 
 func (plugin AutoMergePlugin) checkMergeRequest(project *gitlab.Project, mergeRequest *gitlab.MergeRequest) *mergeStatus {
 	// TODO: find better place to load this
-	plugin.setupMergeChecks()
+	plugin.setupMergeChecks(plugin.loadedConfig)
 
 	status := &mergeStatus{
 		mergeRequestID:  mergeRequest.ID,
@@ -57,12 +58,8 @@ func (plugin AutoMergePlugin) checkMergeRequest(project *gitlab.Project, mergeRe
 	return status
 }
 
-func (plugin AutoMergePlugin) setupMergeChecks() {
-	if mergeChecks != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	mergeChecks = []mergeCheck{
+func (plugin AutoMergePlugin) setupMergeChecks(config *config.AutoMergeConfig) {
+	allMergeChecks := []mergeCheck{
 		checks.HasEnoughApprovalsCheck{
 			Client: plugin.Client,
 		},
@@ -76,4 +73,17 @@ func (plugin AutoMergePlugin) setupMergeChecks() {
 		},
 		checks.IsTitleUsingConventionalCommit{},
 	}
+
+	if config.IgnoredChecks != nil {
+		// filter out ignored checks
+		var _mergeChecks []mergeCheck
+		for _, check := range allMergeChecks {
+			if utils.StringInSlice(check.Name(), config.IgnoredChecks) {
+				mergeChecks = append(mergeChecks, check)
+			}
+		}
+		mergeChecks = _mergeChecks
+	} else {
+		mergeChecks = allMergeChecks
+	}
 }