diff --git a/.github/workflows/gerrit-merge.yaml b/.github/workflows/gerrit-merge.yaml
index 7102e1864..9961b2b3b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gerrit-merge.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gerrit-merge.yaml
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ jobs:
       GERRIT_PROJECT: ${{ inputs.GERRIT_PROJECT }}
       GERRIT_REFSPEC: ${{ inputs.GERRIT_REFSPEC }}
       # yamllint disable rule:line-length
-      ENV_VARS: "{}"
+      ENV_VARS: "{MAVEN_OPTS: --add-opens=java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED}"
       ENV_SECRETS: "{}"
       JDK_VERSION: "17"
       MVN_PHASES: "clean install dependency:tree com.sonatype.clm:clm-maven-plugin:2.41.0-02:index"
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ jobs:
         -Dorg.slf4j.simpleLogger.log.org.apache.maven.cli.transfer.Slf4jMavenTransferListener=warn
         -Dmaven.repo.local=/tmp/r -Dorg.ops4j.pax.url.mvn.localRepository=/tmp/r
         -DaltDeploymentRepository=staging::default::file:"${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}"/m2repo
-        -DMAVEN_OPTS=--add-opens=java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED
     secrets:
       NEXUS_IQ_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.NEXUS_IQ_PASSWORD }}