diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 75603b208d92cc2eacede872a45698c336ee01fe..f1c661a0ebfb6787bf1efeae42a5dc6ecff52d8e 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ variables:
   OUTPUT_DIR: "$CI_PROJECT_DIR/outputs/"
 #  OUTPUT_DIR: "/storage/app/EWS_prod/regions/EastAfrica/workspace/"
   TEST_WORKSPACE_DIR: "/storage/app/EWS_prod/regions/EastAfrica/test_workspace/"
-  CI_PYTHON_PATH: "NOT_SET"
   FULL_FAT_RUN_DATE:
     value: "default"
     options:
@@ -43,7 +42,6 @@ stages:
       - echo "full-fat run date - " $FULL_FAT_RUN_DATE
       - echo "custom full-fat run date - " $CUSTOM_RUN_DATE
       - echo "output dir - " $OUTPUT_DIR
-      - echo "pythonpath - " $PYTHONPATH
 
       - source /storage/app/miniconda3/bin/activate /storage/app/EWS_prod/envs/conda/py3EWS/
       - pip install coverage
@@ -69,6 +67,7 @@ stages:
       - coordinator=$CI_PROJECT_DIR/coordinator
       - coordinator_tests=$CI_PROJECT_DIR/tests
       - export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:$coordinator:$coordinator_tests
+      - echo "pythonpath - " $PYTHONPATH
 
       - ls $PACKAGES_DIR
 
@@ -91,7 +90,6 @@ stages:
 #      - export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:$flagdir:$epimodel:$advisory:$met_processing:$met_processor:$plotting:$source_gen:$post_processing:$coordinator:$coordinator_tests
 #
 #      - echo $PYTHONPATH
-#      - CI_PYTHON_PATH=$PYTHONPATH
 
 half_fat_tests:
   when: manual
@@ -100,8 +98,6 @@ half_fat_tests:
   image: lb584/ews_coordinator:latest
 
   script:
-    - export PYTHONPATH="$CI_PYTHON_PATH"
-#    - echo $PYTHONPATH
     - cd $CI_PROJECT_DIR/tests/unit/coordinator/
     - python3 -m coverage run -m unittest *
     - python -m coverage report