diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli.yml b/.github/workflows/cli.yml
index 2753f0f853..7e7dbe4f5b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cli.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     branches: [main]
 
+env:
+  OPENC3_API_PASSWORD: password
+
 jobs:
   openc3-cli:
     if: ${{ github.actor != 'dependabot[bot]' }}
@@ -105,7 +108,6 @@ jobs:
         shell: 'script -q -e -c "bash {0}"'
         run: |
           set -e
-          echo "OPENC3_API_PASSWORD=password" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           docker exec -it cosmos-openc3-redis-1 sh -c "echo -e 'AUTH openc3 openc3password\nset OPENC3__TOKEN 5e884898da28047151d0e56f8dc6292773603d0d6aabbdd62a11ef721d1542d8' | redis-cli"
           # listing script filenames on server also shows a target folder name
           # orig #./openc3.sh cliroot script list | grep -q "INST2"