diff --git a/.buildkite/pipeline.build.yml b/.buildkite/pipeline.build.yml
index 67f79624f55a..b8f5e7c78596 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipeline.build.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipeline.build.yml
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@
   commands:
     - cleanup() { if [ "${BUILDKITE_PULL_REQUEST}" = "false" ]; then ./ci/build/upload_build_info.sh; fi }; trap cleanup EXIT
     - ./ci/env/install-minimal.sh 3.6
-    - pip install -r python/requirements/ml/requirements_py36_compat.txt
+    - pip install -r python/requirements/compat/requirements_py36_compat.txt
     - pip install -U typing-extensions
     - HOROVOD_WITH_GLOO=1 HOROVOD_WITHOUT_MPI=1 HOROVOD_WITHOUT_MXNET=1 HOROVOD_WITH_TENSORFLOW=1 HOROVOD_WITH_PYTORCH=1 pip install horovod
     - ./ci/env/env_info.sh
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@
     - cleanup() { if [ "${BUILDKITE_PULL_REQUEST}" = "false" ]; then ./ci/build/upload_build_info.sh; fi }; trap cleanup EXIT
     - ./ci/env/install-minimal.sh 3.7
     - DATA_PROCESSING_TESTING=1 TUNE_TESTING=1 TRAIN_TESTING=1 ./ci/env/install-dependencies.sh
-    - pip install -r python/requirements/ml/requirements_legacy_compat.txt
+    - pip install -r python/requirements/compat/requirements_legacy_compat.txt
     - pip install -U typing-extensions
     - HOROVOD_WITH_GLOO=1 HOROVOD_WITHOUT_MPI=1 HOROVOD_WITHOUT_MXNET=1 HOROVOD_WITH_TENSORFLOW=1 HOROVOD_WITH_PYTORCH=1 pip install horovod
     - ./ci/env/env_info.sh
diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index a0114a8477b5..25358b043673 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ updates:
   - package-ecosystem: "pip"
     # If we want to add more requirements here (Core, Serve, etc.), then we should
     # make additional subdirectories for each one.
-    directory: "/python/requirements/air"
+    directory: "/python/requirements/ml"
     schedule:
       # Automatic upgrade checks Saturday at 12 AM.
       # Dependabot updates can still be manually triggered via Github at any time.
@@ -15,12 +15,22 @@ updates:
       # Use Pacific Standard Time.
       timezone: "America/Los_Angeles"
     commit-message:
-      prefix: "[tune]"
+      prefix: "[air]"
       include: "scope"
     # Only 5 upgrade PRs open at a time.
     open-pull-requests-limit: 5
     reviewers:
       - "ray-project/ray-tune"
+  # compat requirements should not be updated
+  - package-ecosystem: "pip"
+    directory: "/python/requirements/compat"
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "[air/do-not-merge]"
+      include: "scope"
+    ignore: *
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 0
+    reviewers:
+      - "ray-project/ray-tune"
   # Data Requirements.
   - package-ecosystem: "pip"
     directory: "/python/requirements/data_processing"
diff --git a/ci/build/build-docker-images.py b/ci/build/build-docker-images.py
index 1888ec220715..003ada3bf9b6 100644
--- a/ci/build/build-docker-images.py
+++ b/ci/build/build-docker-images.py
@@ -368,8 +368,8 @@ def prep_ray_ml():
     ]
     # We don't need these in the ml docker image
     ignore_requirements = [
-        "python/requirements/ml/requirements_legacy_compat.txt",
-        "python/requirements/ml/requirements_py36_compat.txt",
+        "python/requirements/compat/requirements_legacy_compat.txt",
+        "python/requirements/compat/requirements_py36_compat.txt",
     ]
 
     files_on_disk = glob.glob(f"{root_dir}/python/**/requirements*.txt", recursive=True)
diff --git a/python/requirements/ml/requirements_legacy_compat.txt b/python/requirements/compat/requirements_legacy_compat.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from python/requirements/ml/requirements_legacy_compat.txt
rename to python/requirements/compat/requirements_legacy_compat.txt
diff --git a/python/requirements/ml/requirements_py36_compat.txt b/python/requirements/compat/requirements_py36_compat.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from python/requirements/ml/requirements_py36_compat.txt
rename to python/requirements/compat/requirements_py36_compat.txt