diff --git a/.drone.yml b/.drone.yml
index ea37b0ebc4f..6412afed3f9 100644
--- a/.drone.yml
+++ b/.drone.yml
@@ -2024,6 +2024,7 @@ steps:
   - rmdir bin
   - mv grafana-enterprise /tmp/
   - export DRONE_TARGET_BRANCH=$${DRONE_TAG}
+  - export DRONE_SOURCE_BRANCH=v8.5.x
   - /tmp/grabpl init-enterprise --github-token $${GITHUB_TOKEN} /tmp/grafana-enterprise
     ${DRONE_TAG}
   - mv /tmp/grafana-enterprise/deployment_tools_config.json deployment_tools_config.json
@@ -2383,6 +2384,7 @@ steps:
   - rmdir bin
   - mv grafana-enterprise /tmp/
   - export DRONE_TARGET_BRANCH=$${DRONE_TAG}
+  - export DRONE_SOURCE_BRANCH=v8.5.x
   - /tmp/grabpl init-enterprise --github-token $${GITHUB_TOKEN} /tmp/grafana-enterprise
     ${DRONE_TAG}
   - mv /tmp/grafana-enterprise/deployment_tools_config.json deployment_tools_config.json
@@ -2564,6 +2566,7 @@ steps:
   - rmdir bin
   - mv grafana-enterprise /tmp/
   - export DRONE_TARGET_BRANCH=$${DRONE_TAG}
+  - export DRONE_SOURCE_BRANCH=v8.5.x
   - /tmp/grabpl init-enterprise --github-token $${GITHUB_TOKEN} /tmp/grafana-enterprise
     ${DRONE_TAG}
   - mv /tmp/grafana-enterprise/deployment_tools_config.json deployment_tools_config.json
@@ -2683,6 +2686,7 @@ steps:
   - rm -r -force grafana-enterprise
   - cp grabpl.exe C:\App\grabpl.exe
   - rm -force grabpl.exe
+  - set DRONE_SOURCE_BRANCH=v8.5.x
   - C:\App\grabpl.exe init-enterprise --github-token $$env:GITHUB_TOKEN C:\App\grafana-enterprise
     ${DRONE_TAG}
   - cp C:\App\grabpl.exe grabpl.exe
@@ -4543,6 +4547,7 @@ steps:
   - rm -r -force grafana-enterprise
   - cp grabpl.exe C:\App\grabpl.exe
   - rm -force grabpl.exe
+  - set DRONE_SOURCE_BRANCH=v8.5.x
   - C:\App\grabpl.exe init-enterprise --github-token $$env:GITHUB_TOKEN C:\App\grafana-enterprise
     $$env:DRONE_BRANCH
   - cp C:\App\grabpl.exe grabpl.exe
@@ -4800,6 +4805,6 @@ kind: secret
 name: aws_secret_access_key
 ---
 kind: signature
-hmac: 92be66311309e1019e95ab96a54ccb844d25a566965c7d76d0450ca524233932
+hmac: 94c74447971d89d8633785e4ab8b4477cd6641901336bc24f0b6d51925d97997
 
 ...
diff --git a/scripts/drone/steps/lib.star b/scripts/drone/steps/lib.star
index fc76a478846..7e3b89bba6c 100644
--- a/scripts/drone/steps/lib.star
+++ b/scripts/drone/steps/lib.star
@@ -138,7 +138,10 @@ def init_enterprise_step(ver_mode):
     ]
 
     if ver_mode == 'release':
-      commands += ['export DRONE_TARGET_BRANCH=$${DRONE_TAG}']
+      commands += [
+        'export DRONE_TARGET_BRANCH=$${DRONE_TAG}',
+        'export DRONE_SOURCE_BRANCH=v8.5.x',
+    ]
 
     commands += [
         '/tmp/grabpl init-enterprise {} /tmp/grafana-enterprise{}'.format(token, source_commit),
@@ -1182,6 +1185,7 @@ def get_windows_steps(edition, ver_mode):
             'rm -r -force grafana-enterprise',
             'cp grabpl.exe C:\\App\\grabpl.exe',
             'rm -force grabpl.exe',
+            'set DRONE_SOURCE_BRANCH=v8.5.x',
             'C:\\App\\grabpl.exe init-enterprise --github-token $$env:GITHUB_TOKEN C:\\App\\grafana-enterprise {}'.format(committish),
             'cp C:\\App\\grabpl.exe grabpl.exe',
         ])