diff --git a/.github/workflows/sync-registry.yaml b/.github/workflows/sync-registry.yaml
index b9cdfda19..503ac07a5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sync-registry.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sync-registry.yaml
@@ -13,10 +13,11 @@ jobs:
         with:
           go-version: '>=1.22'
 
+      - run: go install github.com/regclient/regclient/cmd/regsync@latest
+
       - name: Sync registry.k8s.io to ghcr.io/canonical
         env:
-          USERNAME: ${{ github.actor }}:${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          USERNAME: ${{ github.actor }}
           TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         run: |
-          go install github.com/regclient/regclient/cmd/regsync@latest
           regsync once --config ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/build-scripts/hack/sync-registry.yaml