diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index dc1996f2738bda5dfb50572ba1e8831093c0102e..5c481977348a3e92b8174bc8cae4b939b994c496 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+stages:
+  - license
+  - build_and_test
+
 ############ YAML ANCHORS ############
 .preliminaries_template: &preliminaries_definition
   ## Install ssh-agent if not already installed, it is required by Docker.
@@ -20,7 +24,45 @@
   # update apt
   - apt-get update
 
+  # create 'ci_deps' folder (if not exists)
+  - mkdir -pv ci_deps
+
+.license_header_template: &license_header_definition
+  - cd $CI_PROJECT_DIR
+
+  # configure git
+  - export CI_NEW_BRANCH=ci_processing$RANDOM
+  - echo creating new temporary branch... $CI_NEW_BRANCH
+  - git config --global user.email "${CI_EMAIL}"
+  - git config --global user.name "${CI_USERNAME}"
+  - git checkout -b $CI_NEW_BRANCH # temporary branch
+
+  # license headers
+  - export CURRENT_YEAR=$( date +'%Y' )
+  - echo "current year:" ${CURRENT_YEAR}
+  - if [ -f license_header_${CURRENT_YEAR}.txt ]; then
+      # add license headers to new files
+  -   echo "File license_header_${CURRENT_YEAR}.txt already exists. License headers are assumed to be updated. Adding headers to new files..."
+  -   ./ci_deps/wolf/wolf_scripts/license_manager.sh --add --path=. --license-header=license_header_${CURRENT_YEAR}.txt --exclude=ci_deps
+  - else
+      # update license headers of all files
+  -   export PREV_YEAR=$(( CURRENT_YEAR-1 ))
+  -   echo "Creating new file license_header_${CURRENT_YEAR}.txt..."
+  -   git mv license_header_${PREV_YEAR}.txt license_header_${CURRENT_YEAR}.txt
+  -   sed -i "s/${PREV_YEAR}/${PREV_YEAR},${CURRENT_YEAR}/g" license_header_${CURRENT_YEAR}.txt
+  -   ./ci_deps/wolf/wolf_scripts/license_manager.sh --update --path=. --license-header=license_header_${CURRENT_YEAR}.txt --exclude=ci_deps
+  - fi
+
+  # push changes (if any)
+  - if git commit -a -m "[skip ci] license headers added or modified" ; then
+  -   git remote set-url --push origin "ssh://git@gitlab.iri.upc.edu:2202/${CI_PROJECT_PATH}.git"
+  -   git push origin $CI_NEW_BRANCH:${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}
+  - else
+  -   echo "No changes, nothing to commit!"
+  - fi
+
 .install_wolf_template: &install_wolf_definition
+  - cd ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/ci_deps
   - if [ -d wolf ]; then
   -   echo "directory wolf exists"
   -   cd wolf
@@ -34,12 +76,12 @@
   - mkdir -pv build
   - cd build
   - cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=ON -DBUILD_TESTS=ON ..
-  - make -j$WOLF_N_PROC
-  - ctest -j$WOLF_N_PROC
+  - make -j$(nproc)
+  - ctest -j$(nproc)
   - make install
-  - cd ../..
 
 .install_wolfimu_template: &install_wolfimu_definition
+  - cd ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/ci_deps
   - if [ -d imu ]; then
   -   echo "directory imu exists"
   -   cd imu
@@ -51,29 +93,46 @@
   - mkdir -pv build
   - cd build
   - cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=ON -DBUILD_TESTS=ON ..
-  - make -j$WOLF_N_PROC
-  - ctest -j$WOLF_N_PROC
+  - make -j$(nproc)
+  - ctest -j$(nproc)
   - make install
-  - cd ../..
 
 .build_and_test_template: &build_and_test_definition
+  - cd $CI_PROJECT_DIR
   - mkdir -pv build
   - cd build
   - cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=ON -DBUILD_TESTS=ON ..
-  - make -j$WOLF_N_PROC
-  - ctest -j$WOLF_N_PROC
+  - make -j$(nproc)
+  - ctest -j$(nproc)
   - make install
 
+############ LICENSE HEADERS ############
+license_headers:
+  stage: license
+  image: labrobotica/wolf_deps:16.04
+  cache:
+    - key: wolf-xenial
+      paths:
+      - ci_deps/wolf/
+  except:
+    - master
+  before_script:
+    - *preliminaries_definition
+    - *install_wolf_definition
+  script:
+    - *license_header_definition
+
 ############ UBUNTU 16.04 TESTS ############
 build_and_test:xenial:
   image: labrobotica/wolf_deps:16.04
+  stage: build_and_test
   cache:
     - key: wolf-xenial
       paths:
-      - wolf/
+      - ci_deps/wolf/
     - key: imu-xenial
       paths:
-      - imu/
+      - ci_deps/imu/
   except:
     - master
   before_script:
@@ -87,13 +146,14 @@ build_and_test:xenial:
 ############ UBUNTU 18.04 TESTS ############
 build_and_test:bionic:
   image: labrobotica/wolf_deps:18.04
+  stage: build_and_test
   cache:
     - key: wolf-bionic
       paths:
-      - wolf/
+      - ci_deps/wolf/
     - key: imu-bionic
       paths:
-      - imu/
+      - ci_deps/imu/
   except:
     - master
   before_script:
diff --git a/license_header_2021.txt b/license_header_2021.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c75a6f243b37109b77d60e16b7caebfc19215aea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/license_header_2021.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2020,2021 Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial, CSIC-UPC.
+// Authors: Joan Solà Ortega (jsola@iri.upc.edu)
+// All rights reserved.
+//
+// This file is part of WOLF
+// WOLF is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+// along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.