diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci-cd.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci-cd.yml
index 072b03d..753a011 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci-cd.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci-cd.yml
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           . .venv/bin/activate
-          export PYTHONPATH="${PWD}/src:${PYTHONPATH}"
+          export PYTHONPATH="${PWD}/src:${PYTHONPATH:-}"
           python src/manage.py test tests --verbosity=2
 
   build_push: