diff --git a/.github/workflows/repo_sync_ebrains.yml b/.github/workflows/repo_sync_ebrains.yml
index 76655fe25a8f9776b7cea0069925427800ca1968..22bb421131137393fe601849fdc1dd6d0acf8c67 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/repo_sync_ebrains.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/repo_sync_ebrains.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ on:
     branches:
       - master
       - staging
+      - sync_debug
 
 jobs:
   sync:
@@ -13,9 +14,9 @@ jobs:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
     - uses: wei/git-sync@v3
       with:
-        source_repo: ${{ env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY }}
-        source_branch: ${{ env.GITHUB_REF_NAME }}
+        source_repo: ${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}
+        source_branch: ${GITHUB_REF_NAME}
         destination_repo: ${{ secrets.GITLAB_MIRROR_EBRAINS_DEST }}
-        destination_branch: ${{ env.GITHUB_REF_NAME }}
+        destination_branch: ${GITHUB_REF_NAME}
         destination_ssh_private_key: ${{ secrets.GITLAB_MIRROR_EBRAINS_SSH }}