diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/branching.yml b/.gitlab-ci/branching.yml
index 52a610ffc5721d29c0cda42642cb12d57a3a033a..78e815aa5cb9e535c4f19c0516a1ca39998b4fdc 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/branching.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/branching.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ branch-protection-relax:
   extends: .custom_globals_default
   variables:
     RULES: gitlab-scripts/rulez-relax.yaml
+    ARGS: --gitlab-server-url ${CI_SERVER_URL} --gitlab-api-token ${GITLAB_TOKEN}
   stage: branch-protection-relax
   needs:
     - explain-done
@@ -14,18 +15,17 @@ branch-protection-relax:
     - apt install -y --no-install-recommends
         gitlab-rulez/bookworm-backports # required to avoid python deprecation warnings
   script:
-    - export PYTHON_GITLAB_CFG=${PYTHON_GITLAB_CFG:-$PYTHON_GITLAB}
     - test "$NOACT" -eq 1 && ACTION=diff || ACTION=apply
     # ignore gitlab-rulez telling us "I found some diffs compare to the desired state"
     # since it is indeed something expected by design when running with NOACT=1
-    - gitlab-rulez "$ACTION" --filter 'pkg/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
-    - gitlab-rulez "$ACTION" --filter 'infrastructure/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
-    - gitlab-rulez "$ACTION" --filter 'tests/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
-    - gitlab-rulez "$ACTION" --filter 'apertis/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
-    - gitlab-rulez "$ACTION" --filter 'appfw/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
-    - gitlab-rulez "$ACTION" --filter 'docs/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
-    - gitlab-rulez "$ACTION" --filter 'hmi/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
-    - gitlab-rulez "$ACTION" --filter 'sample-applications/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
+    - gitlab-rulez $ARGS "$ACTION" --filter 'pkg/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
+    - gitlab-rulez $ARGS "$ACTION" --filter 'infrastructure/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
+    - gitlab-rulez $ARGS "$ACTION" --filter 'tests/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
+    - gitlab-rulez $ARGS "$ACTION" --filter 'apertis/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
+    - gitlab-rulez $ARGS "$ACTION" --filter 'appfw/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
+    - gitlab-rulez $ARGS "$ACTION" --filter 'docs/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
+    - gitlab-rulez $ARGS "$ACTION" --filter 'hmi/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
+    - gitlab-rulez $ARGS "$ACTION" --filter 'sample-applications/*' $RULES || test "$?" -eq 10
 
 branch-update-image-recipes:
   extends: .custom_globals_default
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ branch-mass-create-branches:
         curl
         ca-certificates
         git
-    - cat ${PYTHON_GITLAB} > /root/.python-gitlab.cfg
   script:
     - cd release-scripts
     - test "$NOACT" -eq 1 && DRY_RUN=--dry-run || DRY_RUN=
@@ -115,6 +114,8 @@ branch-mass-create-branches:
       --filter 'hmi/*'
       --filter 'infrastructure/*'
       --filter 'pkg/*'
+      --gitlab-server-url ${CI_SERVER_URL}
+      --gitlab-api-token ${GITLAB_TOKEN}
       $DRY_RUN
 
 branch-update-tests-projects: