diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 22b8faee72adb7758cbbe66838cd83c6a2c2208b..1724868a92ad2096ac297eb5719ec98dd325074a 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ stages:
 .before_script:
   before_script:
 
+      - BRANCH = "main"
+      - echo "branch - " $BRANCH
       - PACKAGES_DIR="$CI_PROJECT_DIR/packages/"
       - echo "project dir - " $CI_PROJECT_DIR
       - echo "output dir - " $OUTPUT_DIR
@@ -54,14 +56,14 @@ stages:
       - python3 -V  # Print out python version for debugging
       - mkdir -p $PACKAGES_DIR
       - mkdir -p $OUTPUT_DIR
-      - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-source-generation.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/source_gen
-      - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews_plotting.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/plotting
-      - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/flagdir.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/flagdir
-      - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-epimodel.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/epimodel
-      - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-advisory-builder.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/advisory_builder
-      - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews_environmental_suitability_v2.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/environmental_suitability
-      - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-postprocessing.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/post_processing
-      - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-met-processing.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/met_processing
+      - git clone -b $BRANCH "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-source-generation.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/source_gen
+      - git clone -b $BRANCH "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews_plotting.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/plotting
+      - git clone -b $BRANCH "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/flagdir.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/flagdir
+      - git clone -b $BRANCH "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-epimodel.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/epimodel
+      - git clone -b $BRANCH "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-advisory-builder.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/advisory_builder
+      - git clone -b $BRANCH "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews_environmental_suitability_v2.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/environmental_suitability
+      - git clone -b $BRANCH "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-postprocessing.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/post_processing
+      - git clone -b $BRANCH "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-met-processing.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/met_processing
       - flagdir=$PACKAGES_DIR/flagdir
       - epimodel=$PACKAGES_DIR/epimodel
       - advisory=$PACKAGES_DIR/advisory_builder
@@ -284,7 +286,7 @@ full_fat_epi:
     expire_in: 10 days
 
 pages:
-  when: always
+  when: manual
   stage: docs
   extends: .before_script
   image: lb584/ews_coordinator:latest