diff --git a/.github/actions/pkg-publish/action.yml b/.github/actions/pkg-publish/action.yml
index b9362784ae6c5..4cdc8d6db4c69 100644
--- a/.github/actions/pkg-publish/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/pkg-publish/action.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ runs:
     if: inputs.pypi-test-token != ''
     with:
       user: __token__
-      password: ${{ secrets.test_pypi_token_lai }}
+      password: ${{ input.pypi-test-token }}
       repository_url: https://test.pypi.org/legacy/
       packages_dir: pypi/
       verbose: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/legacy-checkpoints.yml b/.github/workflows/legacy-checkpoints.yml
index 0531f2e72c957..b27ec472c8791 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/legacy-checkpoints.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/legacy-checkpoints.yml
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ jobs:
       working-directory: ./
       env:
         PACKAGE_NAME: pytorch
+        FREEZE_REQUIREMENTS: 1
       run: |
         pip install . -f https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cpu/torch_stable.html
         pip list
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-pypi.yml b/.github/workflows/release-pypi.yml
index 3701c93dbdab8..5e500670865de 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-pypi.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-pypi.yml
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ jobs:
     - name: GIT Push
       run: |
         git status
-        git push
+        # force push is not very nice
+        # but so far the push is rejected even with exception for this user
+        git push -f
 
   waiting:
     # TODO: replace with back signal from build images/ loop checking for a specific branch?
@@ -181,7 +183,7 @@ jobs:
 
   publish-packages:
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
-    needs: waiting
+    needs: [build-packages, waiting]
     if: startsWith(github.event.ref, 'refs/tags') || github.event_name == 'release'
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v3