diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index a3122f9..65f2e16 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -63,4 +63,6 @@ jobs:
         GOOS=windows GOARCH=386 go build -o build/go-semantic-release.exe  -ldflags "-w -s -X main.version=`./build/go-semantic-release-temp next`" ./cmd/go-semantic-release/
 
     - name: Release
+      env:
+        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
       run: ./build/go-semantic-release-temp release --loglevel trace
diff --git a/internal/releaser/github/github.go b/internal/releaser/github/github.go
index a7c631e..4381e4d 100644
--- a/internal/releaser/github/github.go
+++ b/internal/releaser/github/github.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ type Client struct {
 func New(c *config.GitHubProvider) (*Client, error) {
 	var err error
 
-	if c.AccessToken, err = util.GetAccessToken(GITHUB); err != nil {
+	if c.AccessToken, err = util.GetAccessToken("GITHUB_TOKEN"); err != nil {
 		return &Client{}, err
 	}
 	ctx := context.Background()
diff --git a/internal/releaser/github/github_test.go b/internal/releaser/github/github_test.go
index d9ab789..464b2c4 100644
--- a/internal/releaser/github/github_test.go
+++ b/internal/releaser/github/github_test.go
@@ -145,19 +145,19 @@ func initHTTPServer(respCode int, body string) *httptest.Server {
 func TestNew(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, testOject := range testNewClient {
 		if testOject.valid {
-			os.Setenv("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN", "XXX")
+			os.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "XXX")
 		}
 
 		_, err := github.New(&testOject.config)
 		assert.Equal(t, testOject.valid, err == nil)
 
-		os.Unsetenv("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN")
+		os.Unsetenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
 
 	}
 }
 
 func TestGetCommitURL(t *testing.T) {
-	os.Setenv("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN", "XX")
+	os.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "XX")
 	for _, testOject := range testNewClient {
 		client, _ := github.New(&testOject.config)
 		actualURL := client.GetCommitURL()
@@ -170,12 +170,12 @@ func TestGetCommitURL(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.EqualValues(t, expectedURL, actualURL)
 		}
 	}
-	os.Unsetenv("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN")
+	os.Unsetenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
 
 }
 
 func TestGetCompareURL(t *testing.T) {
-	os.Setenv("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN", "XX")
+	os.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "XX")
 	for _, testOject := range testNewClient {
 		client, _ := github.New(&testOject.config)
 		actualURL := client.GetCompareURL("1", "2")
@@ -188,12 +188,12 @@ func TestGetCompareURL(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.EqualValues(t, expectedURL, actualURL)
 		}
 	}
-	os.Unsetenv("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN")
+	os.Unsetenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
 
 }
 
 func TestValidateConfig(t *testing.T) {
-	os.Setenv("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN", "XX")
+	os.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "XX")
 	for _, testOject := range testHelperMethod {
 		client, _ := github.New(&testOject.config)
 		err := client.ValidateConfig()
@@ -201,11 +201,11 @@ func TestValidateConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, testOject.valid, err == nil)
 
 	}
-	os.Unsetenv("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN")
+	os.Unsetenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
 }
 
 func TestCreateRelease(t *testing.T) {
-	os.Setenv("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN", "XX")
+	os.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "XX")
 
 	for _, testObejct := range testReleases {
 		if testObejct.valid {
@@ -232,6 +232,6 @@ func TestCreateRelease(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.Error(t, err)
 		}
 	}
-	os.Unsetenv("GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN")
+	os.Unsetenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
 
 }
diff --git a/internal/releaser/releaser.go b/internal/releaser/releaser.go
index d96f49f..0aa21f3 100644
--- a/internal/releaser/releaser.go
+++ b/internal/releaser/releaser.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package releaser
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/Nightapes/go-semantic-release/internal/releaser/github"
 	"github.com/Nightapes/go-semantic-release/internal/releaser/gitlab"
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ func (r *Releasers) GetReleaser() (Releaser, error) {
 		return github.New(&r.config.GitHubProvider)
 	case gitlab.GITLAB:
 		log.Debugf("initialize new %s-provider", gitlab.GITLAB)
-		accessToken, err := util.GetAccessToken(gitlab.GITLAB)
+		accessToken, err := util.GetAccessToken(fmt.Sprintf("%s_ACCESS_TOKEN", strings.ToUpper(gitlab.GITLAB)))
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/internal/releaser/util/util.go b/internal/releaser/util/util.go
index 5bde7e3..5e4b42b 100644
--- a/internal/releaser/util/util.go
+++ b/internal/releaser/util/util.go
@@ -49,11 +49,9 @@ func NewAddHeaderTransport(T http.RoundTripper, key, value string) *AddHeaderTra
 }
 
 // GetAccessToken lookup for the providers accesstoken
-func GetAccessToken(providerName string) (string, error) {
+func GetAccessToken(envName string) (string, error) {
 	var token string
 	var exists bool
-	envName := fmt.Sprintf("%s_ACCESS_TOKEN", strings.ToUpper(providerName))
-
 	log.Debugf("check if %s environment variable is set", envName)
 
 	if token, exists = os.LookupEnv(envName); !exists {
diff --git a/internal/releaser/util/util_test.go b/internal/releaser/util/util_test.go
index f3ceadc..3fc3eee 100644
--- a/internal/releaser/util/util_test.go
+++ b/internal/releaser/util/util_test.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func TestGetAccessToken(t *testing.T) {
 			fmt.Println(err.Error())
 		}
 
-		_, err := util.GetAccessToken(testObject.providerName)
+		_, err := util.GetAccessToken(envName)
 
 		assert.Equal(t, testObject.valid, err == nil)
 		os.Unsetenv(envName)