diff --git a/.gitlab/CI/publish.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab/CI/publish.gitlab-ci.yml
index e08ffc2608..d943a87d07 100644
--- a/.gitlab/CI/publish.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/CI/publish.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ docker:
   before_script:
     - ls "$CI_PROJECT_DIR/server-cli/"
   script:
+    # Help kaniko identify that it is running in a container.
+    # avoids this issue: https://github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/issues/1542
+    - export container=docker
     - echo "{\"auths\":{\"$CI_REGISTRY\":{\"username\":\"$CI_REGISTRY_USER\",\"password\":\"$CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD\"}}}" > /kaniko/.docker/config.json
     - /kaniko/executor --context $CI_PROJECT_DIR --dockerfile $CI_PROJECT_DIR/server-cli/Dockerfile --destination "${CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE}/server-cli:${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}"
 
@@ -37,6 +40,9 @@ docker-nightly:
   before_script:
     - ls "$CI_PROJECT_DIR/server-cli/"
   script:
+    # Help kaniko identify that it is running in a container.
+    # avoids this issue: https://github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/issues/1542
+    - export container=docker
     - echo "{\"auths\":{\"$CI_REGISTRY\":{\"username\":\"$CI_REGISTRY_USER\",\"password\":\"$CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD\"}}}" > /kaniko/.docker/config.json
     - /kaniko/executor --context $CI_PROJECT_DIR --dockerfile $CI_PROJECT_DIR/server-cli/Dockerfile --destination "${CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE}/server-cli:nightly"