diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci3.yml b/.github/workflows/ci3.yml
index 3ae684fc8a4..9bddac2d0bb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci3.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci3.yml
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ jobs:
           ARCH: amd64
           LOG_ID: ${{ github.run_id }}
           INSTANCE_POSTFIX: ${{ matrix.number }}
+          DRY_RUN: 1
           NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
         run: |
           ./ci.sh ec2-test
diff --git a/ci3/bootstrap_ec2 b/ci3/bootstrap_ec2
index 056d589ecb0..edbc474fe72 100755
--- a/ci3/bootstrap_ec2
+++ b/ci3/bootstrap_ec2
@@ -99,12 +99,13 @@ container_script=$(cat <<EOF
   git checkout FETCH_HEAD
   git checkout -b $REF_NAME
   export CI_FULL=$CI_FULL
+  export DRY_RUN=${DRY_RUN:-0}
   source ci3/source
 
   if [ -n "${DOCKERHUB_PASSWORD:-}" ] && ([ "$REF_NAME" == "master" ] || semver check "$REF_NAME"); then
     echo ${DOCKERHUB_PASSWORD:-} | docker login -u aztecprotocolci --password-stdin
   fi
-  echo "env: REF_NAME=$REF_NAME COMMIT_HASH=$COMMIT_HASH CURRENT_VERSION=$CURRENT_VERSION CI_FULL=$CI_FULL"
+  echo "env: REF_NAME=$REF_NAME COMMIT_HASH=$COMMIT_HASH CURRENT_VERSION=$CURRENT_VERSION CI_FULL=$CI_FULL DRY_RUN=${DRY_RUN:-0}"
   if semver check "$REF_NAME"; then
     echo "Performing a release because $REF_NAME is a semver."
   fi