diff --git a/.changeset/old-onions-hear.md b/.changeset/old-onions-hear.md
index 82dcc09190..febf2c2bf6 100644
--- a/.changeset/old-onions-hear.md
+++ b/.changeset/old-onions-hear.md
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 '@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend': minor
 ---
 
-Update GitLab Merge Request Action to allow source branch to be deleted
+Update GitLab Merge Request Action to allow source branch to be deleted & configure additional gitlab actions: update and delete
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
index b0f831fc8c..742293da30 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
@@ -346,6 +346,7 @@ export const createPublishGitlabMergeRequestAction: (options: {
   token?: string | undefined;
   projectid?: string | undefined;
   removeSourceBranch?: boolean | undefined;
+  gitlabAction?: 'update' | 'create' | 'delete' | undefined;
 }>;
 
 // @public
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.test.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.test.ts
index cf2bc57514..889b8b862c 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.test.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,20 @@ jest.mock('@gitbeaker/node', () => ({
   },
 }));
 
+jest.mock('globby', () =>
+  jest.fn(async (_: any) => {
+    return ['foo/bar5'];
+  }),
+);
+
+jest.mock('fs-extra', () => {
+  return {
+    readFile: jest.fn(async (_: any) => {
+      return Buffer.from('some content');
+    }),
+  };
+});
+
 describe('createGitLabMergeRequest', () => {
   let instance: TemplateAction<any>;
 
@@ -216,4 +230,165 @@ describe('createGitLabMergeRequest', () => {
       );
     });
   });
+
+  describe('createGitLabMergeRequestWithoutGitlabAction', () => {
+    it('gitlabAction is create by default when not passed in options', async () => {
+      const input = {
+        repoUrl: 'gitlab.com?repo=repo&owner=owner',
+        title: 'Create my new MR',
+        branchName: 'new-mr',
+        description: 'This MR is really good',
+        draft: true,
+      };
+      mockFs({
+        [workspacePath]: {
+          source: { 'foo.txt': 'Hello there!' },
+          irrelevant: { 'bar.txt': 'Nothing to see here' },
+        },
+      });
+      const ctx = {
+        createTemporaryDirectory: jest.fn(),
+        output: jest.fn(),
+        logger: getRootLogger(),
+        logStream: new Writable(),
+        input,
+        workspacePath,
+      };
+      await instance.handler(ctx);
+
+      expect(mockGitlabClient.Commits.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        undefined,
+        'new-mr',
+        'Create my new MR',
+        [
+          {
+            action: 'create',
+            filePath: 'foo/bar5',
+            content: 'some content',
+          },
+        ],
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('createGitLabMergeRequestWithGitlabAction', () => {
+    it('gitlabAction is create when create is passed in options', async () => {
+      const input = {
+        repoUrl: 'gitlab.com?repo=repo&owner=owner',
+        title: 'Create my new MR',
+        branchName: 'new-mr',
+        description: 'MR description',
+        gitlabAction: 'create',
+        draft: true,
+      };
+      mockFs({
+        [workspacePath]: {
+          source: { 'foo.txt': 'Hello there!' },
+          irrelevant: { 'bar.txt': 'Nothing to see here' },
+        },
+      });
+
+      const ctx = {
+        createTemporaryDirectory: jest.fn(),
+        output: jest.fn(),
+        logger: getRootLogger(),
+        logStream: new Writable(),
+        input,
+        workspacePath,
+      };
+      await instance.handler(ctx);
+
+      expect(mockGitlabClient.Commits.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        undefined,
+        'new-mr',
+        'Create my new MR',
+        [
+          {
+            action: 'create',
+            filePath: 'foo/bar5',
+            content: 'some content',
+          },
+        ],
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('gitlabAction is update when update is passed in options', async () => {
+      const input = {
+        repoUrl: 'gitlab.com?repo=repo&owner=owner',
+        title: 'Create my new MR',
+        branchName: 'new-mr',
+        description: 'MR description',
+        gitlabAction: 'update',
+        draft: true,
+      };
+      mockFs({
+        [workspacePath]: {
+          source: { 'foo.txt': 'Hello there!' },
+          irrelevant: { 'bar.txt': 'Nothing to see here' },
+        },
+      });
+
+      const ctx = {
+        createTemporaryDirectory: jest.fn(),
+        output: jest.fn(),
+        logger: getRootLogger(),
+        logStream: new Writable(),
+        input,
+        workspacePath,
+      };
+      await instance.handler(ctx);
+
+      expect(mockGitlabClient.Commits.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        undefined,
+        'new-mr',
+        'Create my new MR',
+        [
+          {
+            action: 'update',
+            filePath: 'foo/bar5',
+            content: 'some content',
+          },
+        ],
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('gitlabAction is delete when delete is passed in options', async () => {
+      const input = {
+        repoUrl: 'gitlab.com?repo=repo&owner=owner',
+        title: 'Create my new MR',
+        branchName: 'new-mr',
+        description: 'other MR description',
+        gitlabAction: 'delete',
+        draft: true,
+      };
+      mockFs({
+        [workspacePath]: {
+          source: { 'foo.txt': 'Hello there!' },
+          irrelevant: { 'bar.txt': 'Nothing to see here' },
+        },
+      });
+
+      const ctx = {
+        createTemporaryDirectory: jest.fn(),
+        output: jest.fn(),
+        logger: getRootLogger(),
+        logStream: new Writable(),
+        input,
+        workspacePath,
+      };
+      await instance.handler(ctx);
+
+      expect(mockGitlabClient.Commits.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        undefined,
+        'new-mr',
+        'Create my new MR',
+        [
+          {
+            action: 'delete',
+            filePath: 'foo/bar5',
+          },
+        ],
+      );
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.ts
index b1d5b35fa3..7e0949454b 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/gitlabMergeRequest.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ export const createPublishGitlabMergeRequestAction = (options: {
     /** @deprecated Use projectPath instead */
     projectid?: string;
     removeSourceBranch?: boolean;
+    gitlabAction?: 'create' | 'update' | 'delete';
   }>({
     id: 'publish:gitlab:merge-request',
     schema: {
@@ -92,6 +93,12 @@ export const createPublishGitlabMergeRequestAction = (options: {
             description:
               'Option to delete source branch once the MR has been merged. Default: false',
           },
+          gitlabAction: {
+            title: 'GitLab Action',
+            type: 'string',
+            description:
+              'Option to configure gitlab action. Options are: create (by default), update and delete',
+          },
         },
       },
       output: {