Add ADR 015: Non-isolation is a permanent Organization state

## Organization Isolation

All Organization data and functionality in GitLab will be isolated.

Isolation means that data and features can never cross Organization boundaries.

This is covered in further detail at [Organization Isolation](isolation.md).

Organizations can be isolated. Isolation means that data and features can

never cross that Organization's boundary. This is covered in further detail

at [Organization Isolation](isolation.md).

On GitLab.com, an Organization starts non-isolated, to support the gradual

transition of top-level groups out of the Default Organization. Non-isolation

is also a valid, permanent state on its own: an Organization can stay

non-isolated indefinitely, and isolating is optional. See [ADR 015: Non-isolation is a permanent Organization state](decisions/015_non_isolation_is_permanent.md).

On GitLab.com, organizations begin in a **non-isolated** state to support the

gradual transition of top-level groups out of the Default Organization.

Features that depend on organization-scoped data must check whether the current

organization is non-isolated, or isolated, before enforcing organization boundary rules.

See [ADR 008: Non-isolated organizations on GitLab.com](decisions/008_non_isolated_organizations_gitlab_com.md)

- [012: Organization is a scoped space](decisions/012_organization_space.md)

- [013: Warn when creating a Top-Level-Group inside an organization](decisions/013_warn_on_tlg_creation.md)

- [014: Organization roles renamed to Organization user types](decisions/014_organization_roles_renamed_to_organization_user_type.md)

- [015: Non-isolation is a permanent Organization state](decisions/015_non_isolation_is_permanent.md)

## Links

---

owning-stage: "~devops::tenant scale"

title: 'Organizations ADR 015: Non-isolation is a permanent Organization state'

description: "ADR establishing that a non-isolated Organization is a valid, indefinite state, not a phase every Organization is expected to leave."

creation-date: "2026-07-28"

authors: [ "@alexpooley" ]

toc_hide: true

---

## Context

[Organization Isolation](../isolation.md) assumes every Organization

eventually isolates, and [Non-isolated organizations on GitLab.com](008_non_isolated_organizations_gitlab_com.md) treats

non-isolation only as a starting point on the way there. Whether

non-isolation is temporary or a valid, permanent outcome has been

ambiguous until now. This ADR makes it explicit.

## Decision

A non-isolated Organization is a permanent, valid state. An Organization

is never required to isolate. Isolation is something an Organization's

owner opts into, if and when it makes sense for them — not a

destination every Organization is expected to reach.

## Consequences

1. [Organization Isolation](../isolation.md)'s opening claim, that all

   Organization data will be isolated, is corrected as part of this

   ADR. Its phased rollout further down still describes engineering

   milestones as though every Organization eventually isolates;

   revising that is a separate piece of work.

1. A non-isolated Organization may remain on the legacy Cell

   indefinitely, not only until it isolates. A separate, upcoming

   Organization-scoped request context blueprint works out what this

   means for Cell placement in full.

1. Multi-Organization membership is not a temporary side effect of an

   in-progress migration. It is a permanent capability for any

   Organization that stays non-isolated.

## Alternatives considered

1. **Treat non-isolation as a temporary migration state, with every

   Organization eventually isolating** — rejected. Isolation means no

   data crosses the boundary, so an isolated Organization gives up all

   interop with other Organizations. Many Organizations rely on that

   interop today. Isolating every Organization anyway would break real

   workflows for them; assuming it will happen assumes a replacement

   interop capability that does not exist yet. One idea, sometimes

   called "Org Connect," could someday fill that gap, but it remains a

   long way off.

## What?

All Organization data and functionality in GitLab will be isolated.

Isolation means that data and features can never cross Organization boundaries.

An Organization can be isolated. Isolation means that data and features

can never cross that Organization's boundary. Non-isolation is also a

valid, permanent state on its own. See [ADR 015: Non-isolation is a permanent Organization state](decisions/015_non_isolation_is_permanent.md).

Below is a depiction of multiple Organizations within a single instance called "Cell 1".