diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 175f5cf5b..6daf287a8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run python tests
         env:
-          CHATMAIL_DOMAIN: ${{ secrets.CHATMAIL_DOMAIN }}
+          CHATMAIL_DOMAIN: ${{ vars.CHATMAIL_DOMAIN }}
           DCC_RS_TARGET: debug
           DCC_RS_DEV: ${{ github.workspace }}
         working-directory: python
@@ -314,6 +314,6 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run deltachat-rpc-client tests
         env:
-          CHATMAIL_DOMAIN: ${{ secrets.CHATMAIL_DOMAIN }}
+          CHATMAIL_DOMAIN: ${{ vars.CHATMAIL_DOMAIN }}
         working-directory: deltachat-rpc-client
         run: tox -e py
diff --git a/.github/workflows/jsonrpc.yml b/.github/workflows/jsonrpc.yml
index 0a3e0484f..0f5df0a2f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/jsonrpc.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/jsonrpc.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript
         run: npm run test
         env:
-          CHATMAIL_DOMAIN: ${{ secrets.CHATMAIL_DOMAIN }}
+          CHATMAIL_DOMAIN: ${{ vars.CHATMAIL_DOMAIN }}
       - name: make sure websocket server version still builds
         working-directory: deltachat-jsonrpc
         run: cargo build --bin deltachat-jsonrpc-server --features webserver
diff --git a/.github/workflows/node-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/node-tests.yml
index 84bb15eeb..ae7878401 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/node-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/node-tests.yml
@@ -64,5 +64,5 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: node
         run: npm run test
         env:
-          CHATMAIL_DOMAIN: ${{ secrets.CHATMAIL_DOMAIN }}
+          CHATMAIL_DOMAIN: ${{ vars.CHATMAIL_DOMAIN }}
           NODE_OPTIONS: "--force-node-api-uncaught-exceptions-policy=true"