diff --git a/openstack_releases/cmds/validate.py b/openstack_releases/cmds/validate.py
index d7a6f6bf18..0e6e0d93df 100644
--- a/openstack_releases/cmds/validate.py
+++ b/openstack_releases/cmds/validate.py
@@ -471,7 +471,8 @@ def validate_branch_prefixes(deliverable_info, mk_waring, mk_error):
                 branch['name'], _VALID_BRANCH_PREFIXES))
 
 
-def validate_stable_branches(deliverable_info, mk_warning, mk_error):
+def validate_stable_branches(deliverable_info, series_name,
+                             mk_warning, mk_error):
     "Apply the rules for stable branches."
     if ('launchpad' in deliverable_info and
        deliverable_info['launchpad'] in _NO_STABLE_BRANCH_CHECK):
@@ -502,12 +503,20 @@ def validate_stable_branches(deliverable_info, mk_warning, mk_error):
                  'list of releases for this deliverable' % (
                      branch['location'], branch['name']))
             )
-        if series not in known_series:
-            mk_error(
-                ('stable branches must be named for known series '
-                 'but %s was not found in %s' % (
-                     branch['name'], known_series))
-            )
+        if series_name == '_independent':
+            if series not in known_series:
+                mk_error(
+                    ('stable branches must be named for known series '
+                     'but %s was not found in %s' % (
+                         branch['name'], known_series))
+                )
+        else:
+            if series != series_name:
+                mk_error(
+                    ('cycle-based projects must match series names '
+                     'for stable branches. %s should be stable/%s' % (
+                         branch['name'], series_name))
+                )
 
 
 def validate_feature_branches(deliverable_info, workdir, mk_warning, mk_error):
@@ -692,6 +701,7 @@ def main():
         )
         validate_stable_branches(
             deliverable_info,
+            series_name,
             mk_warning,
             mk_error,
         )
diff --git a/openstack_releases/tests/test_validate.py b/openstack_releases/tests/test_validate.py
index ff55e60ebe..8c1c24ef6d 100644
--- a/openstack_releases/tests/test_validate.py
+++ b/openstack_releases/tests/test_validate.py
@@ -1035,6 +1035,7 @@ class TestValidateStableBranches(base.BaseTestCase):
         deliverable_info = yaml.safe_load(deliverable_data)
         validate.validate_stable_branches(
             deliverable_info,
+            'ocata',
             warnings.append,
             errors.append,
         )
@@ -1057,13 +1058,14 @@ class TestValidateStableBranches(base.BaseTestCase):
         deliverable_info = yaml.safe_load(deliverable_data)
         validate.validate_stable_branches(
             deliverable_info,
+            'ocata',
             warnings.append,
             errors.append,
         )
         self.assertEqual(0, len(warnings))
         self.assertEqual(1, len(errors))
 
-    def test_unknown_series(self):
+    def test_unknown_series_cycle(self):
         deliverable_data = textwrap.dedent('''
         releases:
           - version: 1.5.0
@@ -1079,6 +1081,31 @@ class TestValidateStableBranches(base.BaseTestCase):
         deliverable_info = yaml.safe_load(deliverable_data)
         validate.validate_stable_branches(
             deliverable_info,
+            'ocata',
+            warnings.append,
+            errors.append,
+        )
+        print(warnings, errors)
+        self.assertEqual(0, len(warnings))
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(errors))
+
+    def test_unknown_series_independent(self):
+        deliverable_data = textwrap.dedent('''
+        releases:
+          - version: 1.5.0
+            projects:
+              - repo: openstack/automaton
+                hash: be2885f544637e6ee6139df7dc7bf937925804dd
+        branches:
+          - name: stable/abc
+            location: 1.5.0
+        ''')
+        warnings = []
+        errors = []
+        deliverable_info = yaml.safe_load(deliverable_data)
+        validate.validate_stable_branches(
+            deliverable_info,
+            '_independent',
             warnings.append,
             errors.append,
         )
@@ -1103,6 +1130,7 @@ class TestValidateStableBranches(base.BaseTestCase):
         deliverable_info = yaml.safe_load(deliverable_data)
         validate.validate_stable_branches(
             deliverable_info,
+            '_independent',
             warnings.append,
             errors.append,
         )