diff --git a/.drone.yml b/.drone.yml
index d9f9baf08e4..bc8dfcb3a7a 100644
--- a/.drone.yml
+++ b/.drone.yml
@@ -3422,7 +3422,7 @@ steps:
   - mv bin/grabpl /tmp/
   - rmdir bin
   - mv grafana-enterprise /tmp/
-  - /tmp/grabpl init-enterprise --github-token $${GITHUB_TOKEN} /tmp/grafana-enterprise
+  - /tmp/grabpl init-enterprise  /tmp/grafana-enterprise
   - mv /tmp/grafana-enterprise/deployment_tools_config.json deployment_tools_config.json
   - mkdir bin
   - mv /tmp/grabpl bin/
@@ -3755,7 +3755,7 @@ steps:
   - mv bin/grabpl /tmp/
   - rmdir bin
   - mv grafana-enterprise /tmp/
-  - /tmp/grabpl init-enterprise --github-token $${GITHUB_TOKEN} /tmp/grafana-enterprise
+  - /tmp/grabpl init-enterprise  /tmp/grafana-enterprise
   - mv /tmp/grafana-enterprise/deployment_tools_config.json deployment_tools_config.json
   - mkdir bin
   - mv /tmp/grabpl bin/
@@ -3918,7 +3918,7 @@ steps:
   - mv bin/grabpl /tmp/
   - rmdir bin
   - mv grafana-enterprise /tmp/
-  - /tmp/grabpl init-enterprise --github-token $${GITHUB_TOKEN} /tmp/grafana-enterprise
+  - /tmp/grabpl init-enterprise  /tmp/grafana-enterprise
   - mv /tmp/grafana-enterprise/deployment_tools_config.json deployment_tools_config.json
   - mkdir bin
   - mv /tmp/grabpl bin/
@@ -4212,6 +4212,6 @@ kind: secret
 name: gcp_upload_artifacts_key
 ---
 kind: signature
-hmac: 1d7c4a778a9dcf8f7f69100cdef990a89ef563383c7b81ea79df1a04b815343d
+hmac: 6619036aae90bbf3f04b626f5d107e53d8916aaeac8e780af469358fc31184f7
 
 ...
diff --git a/scripts/drone/steps/lib.star b/scripts/drone/steps/lib.star
index d05c70fc674..270051463d8 100644
--- a/scripts/drone/steps/lib.star
+++ b/scripts/drone/steps/lib.star
@@ -67,13 +67,17 @@ def initialize_step(edition, platform, ver_mode, is_downstream=False, install_de
             environment = {
                   'GITHUB_TOKEN': from_secret(github_token),
             }
+            token = "--github-token $${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
         elif ver_mode == 'release-branch':
             committish = '${DRONE_BRANCH}'
             environment = {}
+            token = ""
         else:
+            environment = {}
             if is_downstream:
                 source_commit = ' $${SOURCE_COMMIT}'
             committish = '${DRONE_COMMIT}'
+            token = ""
         steps = [
             identify_runner,
             clone_enterprise(committish),
@@ -88,7 +92,7 @@ def initialize_step(edition, platform, ver_mode, is_downstream=False, install_de
                                 'mv bin/grabpl /tmp/',
                                 'rmdir bin',
                                 'mv grafana-enterprise /tmp/',
-                                '/tmp/grabpl init-enterprise --github-token $${{GITHUB_TOKEN}} /tmp/grafana-enterprise{}'.format(source_commit),
+                                '/tmp/grabpl init-enterprise {} /tmp/grafana-enterprise{}'.format(token, source_commit),
                                 'mv /tmp/grafana-enterprise/deployment_tools_config.json deployment_tools_config.json',
                                 'mkdir bin',
                                 'mv /tmp/grabpl bin/'