diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 14b46bc7a6a39499be5e4d88103bdf659ff0de10..7a9fdb84608836170abafd89b57590e1052b75c2 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -108,15 +108,16 @@ variables:
   tags:
     - deploy
     - swarm
-  variables:
-    DATABASE_URL: ${DATABASE_URL}
-    OPENID_CLIENT_ID: ${OPENID_CLIENT_ID}
-    OPENID_CLIENT_SECRET: ${OPENID_CLIENT_SECRET}
-    OPENID_METADATA_URL: ${OPENID_METADATA_URL}
-    SECRET_KEY: ${SECRET_KEY}
-    SECRET_SALT: ${SECRET_SALT}
-    ADMIN_GROUP: ${ADMIN_GROUP}
-    REVIEWER_GROUP: ${REVIEWER_GROUP}
+  # these variables are defined in Gitlab, or set in scripts/custom.config.sh
+  # variables:
+  #   DATABASE_URL
+  #   OPENID_CLIENT_ID
+  #   OPENID_CLIENT_SECRET
+  #   OPENID_METADATA_URL
+  #   SECRET_KEY
+  #   SECRET_SALT
+  #   ADMIN_GROUP
+  #   REVIEWER_GROUP
 
 .deploy-library:
   cache: {}
@@ -247,8 +248,6 @@ Mage02 Library:
     - mage02
   variables:
     APP_NAME: geomag-algorithms
-    # database only used on staging/production
-    DATABASE_URL: "sqlite:///./api_database.db"
 
 Mage02 Web Service:
   extends:
@@ -260,8 +259,6 @@ Mage02 Web Service:
     - mage02
   variables:
     APP_NAME: geomag-algorithms
-    # database only used on staging/production
-    DATABASE_URL: "sqlite:///./api_database.db"
 
 Production01 Web Service:
   extends: