diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 9730dde13a179bdd489afbe268843f5b3657f015..81f4a17963cd653b0d28e2c777c2fc69dafa0eee 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ test:
     name: apache/airflow:2.1.3
     entrypoint: [""]
   variables:
-    - AIRFLOW__SECRETS__BACKEND_KWARGS: '{\"url\" : \"https://zam10036.zam.kfa-juelich.de\", \"user\" : \"${DATACAT_TESTING_USERNAME}\", \"password\" : \"${DATACAT_TESTING_PASSWORD}\"}\' 
+    - AIRFLOW__SECRETS__BACKEND_KWARGS: '{"url" : "https://zam10036.zam.kfa-juelich.de", "user" : "${DATACAT_TESTING_USERNAME}", "password" : "${DATACAT_TESTING_PASSWORD}"}'
   before_script:
     - echo $AIRFLOW__SECRETS__BACKEND_KWARGS
     - airflow db init