diff --git a/common/maintainership.go b/common/maintainership.go
index 1165f31..038f28f 100644
--- a/common/maintainership.go
+++ b/common/maintainership.go
@@ -168,12 +168,32 @@ func (data *MaintainershipMap) IsApproved(pkg string, reviews []*models.PullRevi
 		return true
 	}
 
-	for _, review := range reviews {
-		if !review.Stale && review.State == ReviewStateApproved && slices.Contains(reviewers, review.User.UserName) {
-			LogDebug("Reviewed by", review.User.UserName)
-			return true
+	if !data.Config.ReviewRequired {
+		for _, review := range reviews {
+			if !review.Stale && review.State == ReviewStateApproved && slices.Contains(reviewers, review.User.UserName) {
+				LogDebug("Reviewed by", review.User.UserName)
+				return true
+			}
 		}
-
+	} else {
+		// all maintainers except submitter must approve
+		for _, m := range reviewers {
+			if m == submitter {
+				continue
+			}
+			approved := false
+			for _, review := range reviews {
+				if !review.Stale && review.State == ReviewStateApproved && review.User.UserName == m {
+					approved = true
+					break
+				}
+			}
+			if !approved {
+				LogDebug("Missing approval from maintainer:", m)
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+		return true
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/common/pr.go b/common/pr.go
index 9ccf31c..c805cf3 100644
--- a/common/pr.go
+++ b/common/pr.go
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ func (rs *PRSet) FindMissingAndExtraReviewers(maintainers MaintainershipData, id
 		if len(rs.PRs) > 1 {
 			noReviewPRCreators = append(noReviewPRCreators, rs.BotUser)
 		}
-		if slices.Contains(noReviewPRCreators, pr.PR.User.UserName) || pr.Reviews.IsReviewedByOneOf(prjMaintainers...) {
+		if slices.Contains(noReviewPRCreators, pr.PR.User.UserName) || pr.Reviews.IsRejectedByOneOf(prjMaintainers...) || (pr.Reviews.IsReviewedByOneOf(prjMaintainers...) && !rs.Config.ReviewRequired) {
 			LogDebug("Project already reviewed by a project maintainer, remove rest")
 			// do not remove reviewers if they are also maintainers
 			prjMaintainers = slices.DeleteFunc(prjMaintainers, func(m string) bool { return slices.Contains(missing, m) })
@@ -355,8 +355,8 @@ func (rs *PRSet) FindMissingAndExtraReviewers(maintainers MaintainershipData, id
 		LogDebug("packakge maintainers:", Maintainers)
 
 		missing = slices.Concat(configReviewers.Pkg, configReviewers.PkgOptional)
-		if slices.Contains(noReviewPkgPRCreators, pr.PR.User.UserName) || pr.Reviews.IsReviewedByOneOf(Maintainers...) {
-			// submitter is maintainer or already reviewed
+		if slices.Contains(noReviewPkgPRCreators, pr.PR.User.UserName) || pr.Reviews.IsRejectedByOneOf(Maintainers...) || (pr.Reviews.IsReviewedByOneOf(Maintainers...) && !rs.Config.ReviewRequired) {
+			// submitter is maintainer or already reviewed/rejected
 			LogDebug("Package reviewed by maintainer (or subitter is maintainer), remove the rest of them")
 			// do not remove reviewers if they are also maintainers
 			Maintainers = slices.DeleteFunc(Maintainers, func(m string) bool { return slices.Contains(missing, m) })
diff --git a/common/reviews.go b/common/reviews.go
index da03839..315773b 100644
--- a/common/reviews.go
+++ b/common/reviews.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ type ReviewInterface interface {
 	HasPendingReviewBy(reviewer string) bool
 	IsReviewedBy(reviewer string) bool
 	IsReviewedByOneOf(reviewers ...string) bool
+	IsRejectedBy(reviewer string) bool
+	IsRejectedByOneOf(reviewers ...string) bool
 
 	SetRequiredReviewers(reviewers []string)
 }
@@ -230,7 +232,7 @@ func (r *PRReviews) IsReviewedBy(reviewer string) bool {
 	for _, r := range r.Reviews {
 		if r.User.UserName == reviewer && !r.Stale {
 			switch r.State {
-			case ReviewStateApproved, ReviewStateRequestChanges:
+			case ReviewStateApproved:
 				return true
 			default:
 				return false
@@ -244,6 +246,37 @@ func (r *PRReviews) IsReviewedBy(reviewer string) bool {
 func (r *PRReviews) IsReviewedByOneOf(reviewers ...string) bool {
 	for _, reviewer := range reviewers {
 		if r.IsReviewedBy(reviewer) {
+			LogDebug("  -- IsReviewedByOneOf: matched ", reviewer)
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
+func (r *PRReviews) IsRejectedBy(reviewer string) bool {
+	if r == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	for _, r := range r.Reviews {
+		if r.User.UserName == reviewer && !r.Stale {
+			switch r.State {
+			case ReviewStateRequestChanges:
+				return true
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
+func (r *PRReviews) IsRejectedByOneOf(reviewers ...string) bool {
+	for _, reviewer := range reviewers {
+		if r.IsRejectedBy(reviewer) {
+			LogDebug("  -- IsRejectedByOneOf: matched ", reviewer)
 			return true
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/integration/tests/workflow_pr_review_test.py b/integration/tests/workflow_pr_review_test.py
index f3985c8..0c0587d 100644
--- a/integration/tests/workflow_pr_review_test.py
+++ b/integration/tests/workflow_pr_review_test.py
@@ -233,7 +233,6 @@ index 0000000..e69de29
 
 
 @pytest.mark.t006
-@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="tbd flacky in ci")
 def test_006_maintainer_rejection_removes_other_requests(maintainer_env, ownerA_client, ownerBB_client):
     """
     Test scenario:
@@ -287,7 +286,6 @@ index 0000000..e69de29
 
 
 @pytest.mark.t007
-@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="TBD troubleshoot")
 def test_007_review_required_needs_all_approvals(review_required_env, ownerA_client, ownerBB_client):
     """
     Test scenario: