diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 55f115ea9629f0e1fa82c77fd205b8b48a59ba68..9e4b6f3e6484fc91ef03590c2b225922ef77094f 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@ variables:
   PYTHON_BUILD_DIST_DISABLED: "1"
   CONTAINER_SCANNING_DISABLED: "1"
   DAST_DISABLED: "1"
+  PYTHON_PUBLISH_TO_GITLAB_DISABLED: "1"
+  USE_MERGE_REQUEST_RELEASE_FLOW: "1"
diff --git a/.gitlab/protobuf-generator.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab/protobuf-generator.gitlab-ci.yml
index a7e1d40f5d809c70cbe3baa218c16dff42a33b75..a99aaef3ac77e44596f814ceed88df0d40e6d408 100644
--- a/.gitlab/protobuf-generator.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/protobuf-generator.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ protobuf:build:python:
   needs: ["protobuf:generate:python"]
 
 .protobuf:publish:base:
-  stage: deploy
+  stage: production
   variables:
     _generator_slug: "" # required
   before_script: