diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 6301911..c07fb02 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ release:
     - git config --global user.name "GitLab CI"
     - git config --global user.email "ci@gitlab.com"
     # Use the PAT for authentication
-    - git remote set-url origin https://oauth2:$ACCESS_TOKEN@gitlab.com/wintermyst/kidsonbrooms
+    - git config --global credential.helper store
+    - echo "https://oauth2:${GITLAB_PAT}@gitlab.com" > ~/.git-credentials
+    - git remote set-url origin https://oauth2:${GITLAB_PAT}@gitlab.com:wintermyst/kidsonbrooms.git
     - git fetch --unshallow    # Ensure we fetch all history for the branch (not a shallow clone)
     - git checkout master      # Switch to the master branch
     - git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/master master  # Set the upstream to the master branch
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ release:
     # Create a release on GitLab
     - | 
       export RELEASE_RESPONSE=$(curl --request POST \
-        --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
+        --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: ${GITLAB_PAT}" \
         --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
         --data '{
             "name": "Release v'$VERSION'",