diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index f6617e47da37fb821f4c3973da2a16669bb286ff..dcde3b34622e18c7fd90c331712a96538dcc0ca2 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 stages:          # List of stages for jobs, and their order of execution
   - build-env
-  - build-verapdf
   - package-verapdf
   - test-package
 
@@ -9,7 +8,7 @@ variables:
   DOCKERFILE_DEB: "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/gitlab-ci/Dockerfile_DEB"
   IMAGE_BASE_DEB: "sdvharbor.slub-dresden.de/replication/debian:bookworm-slim"
   IMAGE_TARGET_DEB: "${CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE}/debian12_verapdf_build_env"
-  INSTALL_PATH_DEB: "/usr/local/verapdf"
+  INSTALL_PATH_VERAPDF_DEB: "/usr/local/verapdf"
 
 .build-env-job:
   stage: build-env
@@ -47,40 +46,31 @@ build-debian-env-job:
     DOCKERFILE: ${DOCKERFILE_DEB}
     IMAGE_TARGET: ${IMAGE_TARGET_DEB}
 
-local-install-debian-job:   # This job runs in the test stage.
-  stage: build-verapdf    # It only starts when the job in the build stage completes successfully.
+package-debian-job:
+  stage: package-verapdf
   timeout: 5m
-  tags:
-    - "docker"
   image:
     name: "${IMAGE_TARGET_DEB}:latest"
+  tags:
+    - "docker"
   script:
+    # HINT: current working dir == '/builds/digital-preservation/verapdf_package_build' as root
     # download zipped verapdf installer
     # HINT: https://software.verapdf.org/rel/1.24/verapdf-greenfield-1.24.1-installer.zip
-    - VERAPDF_VERSION_WITHOUT_PATCHLEVEL="$(echo ${VERAPDF_VERSION} | sed "s#^\([0-9]*\.[0-9]*\).*#\1#g")"
-    - ZIPPED_VERAPDF_INSTALLER_URL="https://software.verapdf.org/rel/${VERAPDF_VERSION_WITHOUT_PATCHLEVEL}/verapdf-greenfield-${VERAPDF_VERSION}-installer.zip"
+    - export VERAPDF_VERSION_WITHOUT_PATCHLEVEL="$(echo ${VERAPDF_VERSION} | sed "s#^\([0-9]*\.[0-9]*\).*#\1#g")"
+    - export ZIPPED_VERAPDF_INSTALLER_URL="https://software.verapdf.org/rel/${VERAPDF_VERSION_WITHOUT_PATCHLEVEL}/verapdf-greenfield-${VERAPDF_VERSION}-installer.zip"
     - wget "${ZIPPED_VERAPDF_INSTALLER_URL}"
     # unpack installer
     - unzip verapdf-greenfield-${VERAPDF_VERSION}-installer.zip
     # set absolute file path to xml template for automated install
     # HINT: /builds/digital-preservation/verapdf_package_build/verapdf-greenfield-1.24.1
-    - VERAPDF_UNZIP_DIR="$(pwd)verapdf-greenfield-${VERAPDF_VERSION}"
-    - AUTO_INSTALL_XML_PATH="${VERAPDF_UNZIP_DIR}/auto-install.DEB.xml"
+    - export VERAPDF_UNZIP_DIR="$(pwd)/verapdf-greenfield-${VERAPDF_VERSION}"
+    - export AUTO_INSTALL_XML_PATH="${VERAPDF_UNZIP_DIR}/auto-install.DEB.xml"
     # set installation path in xml template
-    - sed "s#INSTALL_PATH#${INSTALL_PATH_DEB}#g" gitlab-ci/auto-install.xml > "${AUTO_INSTALL_XML_PATH}"
+    - sed "s#INSTALL_PATH#${INSTALL_PATH_VERAPDF_DEB}#g" gitlab-ci/auto-install.xml > "${AUTO_INSTALL_XML_PATH}"
     # run headless verapdf installation
-    - "${VERAPDF_UNZIP_DIR}/verapdf-install" "${AUTO_INSTALL_XML_PATH}"
+    - ${VERAPDF_UNZIP_DIR}/verapdf-install "${AUTO_INSTALL_XML_PATH}"
     # test call verapdf
-
-package-debian-job:
-  stage: package-verapdf
-  timeout: 5m
-  image:
-    name: "${IMAGE_TARGET_DEB}:latest"
-  tags:
-    - "docker"
-  script:
-    # HINT: current working dir == '/builds/digital-preservation/verapdf_package_build' as root
     - ${INSTALL_PATH_VERAPDF_DEB}/verapdf --version | grep "${VERAPDF_VERSION}"
     # retrieve version infos
     - REVISION="1"