diff --git a/kong/db/declarative/import.lua b/kong/db/declarative/import.lua
index 3d7b6fb687e1..1b2bfc727132 100644
--- a/kong/db/declarative/import.lua
+++ b/kong/db/declarative/import.lua
@@ -616,4 +616,6 @@ return {
   load_into_cache_with_events = load_into_cache_with_events,
   insert_entity_for_txn = insert_entity_for_txn,
   delete_entity_for_txn = delete_entity_for_txn,
+
+  GLOBAL_WORKSPACE_TAG = GLOBAL_WORKSPACE_TAG,
 }
diff --git a/kong/db/strategies/off/init.lua b/kong/db/strategies/off/init.lua
index 7da712c2280b..d61e98b5c529 100644
--- a/kong/db/strategies/off/init.lua
+++ b/kong/db/strategies/off/init.lua
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ local item_key = declarative.item_key
 local item_key_prefix = declarative.item_key_prefix
 local workspace_id = declarative.workspace_id
 local foreign_field_key_prefix = declarative.foreign_field_key_prefix
+local GLOBAL_WORKSPACE_TAG = declarative.GLOBAL_WORKSPACE_TAG
 
 
 local PROCESS_AUTO_FIELDS_OPTS = {
@@ -330,7 +331,7 @@ local function select(self, pk, options)
   local pk = pk_string(schema, pk)
 
   -- if no specific ws_id is provided, we need to search all workspace ids
-  if ws_id == "*" then
+  if ws_id == GLOBAL_WORKSPACE_TAG then
     for workspace, err in kong.db.workspaces:each() do
       if err then
         return nil, err