diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/deploy-service-db-migrations.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/deploy-service-db-migrations.yaml
index 3693190..16b8019 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/deploy-service-db-migrations.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/deploy-service-db-migrations.yaml
@@ -27,7 +27,11 @@ jobs:
         run: docker build --file services/db-migrations/Dockerfile -t hereconnect/service-db-migrations:${{env.GITHUB_SHA}} build/service-db-migrations
 
       - name: start container
-        run: DB_MIGRATIONS_TAG=${{env.GITHUB_SHA}} API_URL='http://${{secrets.COUCHDB_USER}}:${{secrets.COUCHDB_PASSWORD}}@127.0.0.1:15984' docker compose -p hereconnect up --pull never db-migrations
+        env:
+          API_URL: 'http://${{secrets.COUCHDB_USER}}:${{secrets.COUCHDB_PASSWORD}}@127.0.0.1:15984'
+        run: |
+          export
+          DB_MIGRATIONS_TAG=${{env.GITHUB_SHA}} API_URL=${{env.API_URL}} docker compose -p hereconnect up --pull never db-migrations
 
       - name: cleanup docker image
         if: always()