diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
index 5da34e3b05b9b..8fd0afc6702bf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ env:
   TI_CI: "1"
   TI_SKIP_VERSION_CHECK: 'ON'
   CI_IMAGE_VERSION: '202304251731'
-  TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: ${{ vars.TI_USE_GIT_CACHE }}
+  # TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: ${{ vars.TI_USE_GIT_CACHE }}
+  TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: '1'  # variables are also not populated on forked PRs
   NIGHTLY: ${{ inputs.nightly && 'nightly' || '' }}
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/initiator.yaml b/.github/workflows/initiator.yaml
index 8cd5cfd4ddf8a..cc8778dd7bfcd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/initiator.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/initiator.yaml
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ env:
   TI_LITE_TEST: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && ! contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'full-ci') && ! startsWith(github.base_ref, 'rc-') && '1' || '' }}
   TI_TEST_OFFLINE_CACHE: ${{ github.event.schedule == '0 18 * * *' && '1' || '' }}
   CI_IMAGE_VERSION: '202304251731'
-  TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: ${{ vars.TI_USE_GIT_CACHE }}
+  # TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: ${{ vars.TI_USE_GIT_CACHE }}
+  TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: '1'  # variables are also not populated on forked PRs
   REDIS_HOST: 172.16.5.1
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 826327b4eee28..e4d4b023e4cca 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ env:
   CI_IMAGE_VERSION: '202311231829'
   TI_CI: "1"
   TI_SKIP_VERSION_CHECK: 'ON'
-  TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: ${{ vars.TI_USE_GIT_CACHE }}
+  # TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: ${{ vars.TI_USE_GIT_CACHE }}
+  TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: '1'  # variables are also not populated on forked PRs
 
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/testing.yml b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
index 4a7f7edb06b69..95115917dafeb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/testing.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ env:
   TI_LITE_TEST: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && ! contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'full-ci') && ! startsWith(github.base_ref, 'rc-') && '1' || '' }}
   TI_TEST_OFFLINE_CACHE: ${{ github.event.schedule == '0 18 * * *' && '1' || '' }}
   CI_IMAGE_VERSION: '202311231829'
-  TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: ${{ vars.TI_USE_GIT_CACHE }}
+  # TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: ${{ vars.TI_USE_GIT_CACHE }}
+  TI_USE_GIT_CACHE: '1'  # variables are also not populated on forked PRs
 
 jobs:
   show_environ: