diff --git a/jjb/defaults.yaml b/jjb/defaults.yaml
index 2c8d9cc..ee26d34 100644
--- a/jjb/defaults.yaml
+++ b/jjb/defaults.yaml
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
 
     # matching repos that should be version tagged by the version-tag job
     # (basically the same as imagebuilder projects + helm charts + tools
-    version-tag-projects-regexp: '^(?!aether)(xos.*|.*helm-charts|automation-tools|cord-tester|chameleon|rcord|mcord|ecord|acordion|addressmanager|epc-service|exampleservice|fabric.*|globalxos|hippie-oss|hss_db|hypercache|internetemulator|kubernetes-service|monitoring|olt-service|onos-service|openstack|progran|sdn-controller|simpleexampleservice|templateservice|vEE|vEG|vBBU|venb|vHSS|vMME|vnaas|vPGWC|vPGWU|vrouter|vsg|vsg-hw|vSGW|vSM|vspgwc|vspgwu|vtn-service|vtr|.*-workflow-driver|ves-agent|voltha-bbsim|openolt|sadis-server|kafka-topic-exporter|pyvoltha||plyxproto|voltha-protos|alpine-grpc-base|cordctl|voltha-go|voltha-onos|device-management|cord-workflow.*|voltha-system-tests|openairinterface|omec-.*|bbsim|omci-sim|ponsim|pppoe.*|voltha-api-server|aaa|config|dhcpl2relay|igmp|igmpproxy|kafka-onos|mcast|olt|sadis|vtn|voltha-.*-adapter.*|voltha-lib-go|voltha-python-base|voltha-docker-tools|mn-stratum-siab|ofagent.*|bng|voltctl|openolt-scale-tester|nem-ondemand-proxy|multifabric|openolt-test|omci-lib-go|kind-voltha|voltha-docs|mac-learning|goloxi|device-management-interface|bbsim-sadis-server|olttopology|opendm-agent|opendevice-manager)$'
+    version-tag-projects-regexp: '^(?!aether)(xos.*|.*helm-charts|automation-tools|cord-tester|chameleon|rcord|mcord|ecord|acordion|addressmanager|epc-service|exampleservice|fabric.*|globalxos|hippie-oss|hss_db|hypercache|internetemulator|kubernetes-service|monitoring|olt-service|onos-service|openstack|progran|sdn-controller|simpleexampleservice|templateservice|vEE|vEG|vBBU|venb|vHSS|vMME|vnaas|vPGWC|vPGWU|vrouter|vsg|vsg-hw|vSGW|vSM|vspgwc|vspgwu|vtn-service|vtr|.*-workflow-driver|ves-agent|voltha-bbsim|openolt|sadis-server|kafka-topic-exporter|pyvoltha||plyxproto|voltha-protos|alpine-grpc-base|cordctl|voltha-go|voltha-onos|device-management|cord-workflow.*|voltha-system-tests|openairinterface|omec-.*|bbsim|omci-sim|ponsim|pppoe.*|voltha-api-server|aaa|config|dhcpl2relay|igmp|igmpproxy|kafka-onos|mcast|olt|sadis|vtn|voltha-.*-adapter.*|voltha-lib-go|voltha-python-base|voltha-docker-tools|mn-stratum-siab|ofagent.*|bng|voltctl|openolt-scale-tester|nem-ondemand-proxy|multifabric|openolt-test|omci-lib-go|kind-voltha|voltha-docs|mac-learning|goloxi|device-management-interface|bbsim-sadis-server|olttopology|opendm-agent|opendevice-manager|.*-robot)$'
 
     # List of all repos that contribute to the CORD guide
     cord-guide-projects-regexp: '^(att-workflow-driver|cord-tester|cordctl|exampleservice|fabric|fabric-crossconnect|hippie-oss|kubernetes-service|olt-service|onos-service|openolt|openstack|rcord|simpleexampleservice|vrouter|vtn-service|xos|xos-gui|xos-tosca)$'
diff --git a/jjb/verify/grpc-robot.yaml b/jjb/verify/grpc-robot.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5a14aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jjb/verify/grpc-robot.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+---
+# verification jobs for 'grpc-robot' repo
+
+- project:
+    name: grpc-robot
+    project: '{name}'
+
+    jobs:
+      - 'verify-grpc-robot-jobs':
+          branch-regexp: '{supported-branches-regexp}'
+#     - 'publish-grpc-robot-jobs':
+#         branch-regexp: '{supported-branches-regexp}'
+#         pypi-index: 'pypi'
+
+- job-group:
+    name: 'verify-grpc-robot-jobs'
+    jobs:
+      - 'verify-licensed'
+      - 'tag-collision-reject'
+      - 'make-unit-test':
+          junit-allow-empty-results: true
+
+# - job-group:
+#     name: 'publish-grpc-robot-jobs'
+#     jobs:
+#       - 'pypi-publish':
+#           project-regexp: '^{name}$'
+#           dependency-jobs: 'version-tag'
diff --git a/jjb/verify/kafka-robot.yaml b/jjb/verify/kafka-robot.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..19ae917
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jjb/verify/kafka-robot.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+---
+# verification jobs for 'kafka-robot' repo
+
+- project:
+    name: kafka-robot
+    project: '{name}'
+
+    jobs:
+      - 'verify-kafka-robot-jobs':
+          branch-regexp: '{supported-branches-regexp}'
+#     - 'publish-kafka-robot-jobs':
+#         branch-regexp: '{supported-branches-regexp}'
+#         pypi-index: 'pypi'
+
+- job-group:
+    name: 'verify-kafka-robot-jobs'
+    jobs:
+      - 'verify-licensed'
+      - 'tag-collision-reject'
+      - 'make-unit-test':
+          junit-allow-empty-results: true
+
+# - job-group:
+#     name: 'publish-kafka-robot-jobs'
+#     jobs:
+#       - 'pypi-publish':
+#           project-regexp: '^{name}$'
+#           dependency-jobs: 'version-tag'
diff --git a/jjb/voltha-test/voltha.yaml b/jjb/voltha-test/voltha.yaml
index 4bbcc66..f4454fb 100644
--- a/jjb/voltha-test/voltha.yaml
+++ b/jjb/voltha-test/voltha.yaml
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@
       - 'build_voltha_pod_manual':
           build-node: 'menlo-soak-pod'
           config-pod: 'onf-soak-pod'
-          disable-job: false
+          disable-job: true
           branch: 'voltha-2.8'
           release: '2.8'
           bbsimReplicas: 1
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@
       - 'build_voltha_pod_manual_test':
           build-node: 'menlo-soak-pod'
           config-pod: 'onf-soak-pod'
-          disable-job: false
+          disable-job: true
           profile: '1T8GEM'
           branch: 'voltha-2.8'
           release: '2.8'
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@
       - 'build_voltha_pod_soak_test':
           build-node: 'menlo-soak-pod'
           config-pod: 'onf-soak-pod'
-          'disable-job': false
+          'disable-job': true
           profile: '1T8GEM'
           branch: 'voltha-2.8'
           release: '2.8'
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@
       - 'build_voltha_pod_soak_test':
           build-node: 'menlo-soak-pod'
           config-pod: 'onf-soak-pod'
-          'disable-job': false
+          'disable-job': true
           profile: '1T8GEM'
           branch: 'voltha-2.8'
           release: '2.8'