diff --git a/.github/workflows/pre-release.yml b/.github/workflows/pre-release.yml
index 1d16bd8a821c6201ca884222c5ebca52b7605d2f..dacfb38355e5af1b8853daa9785741e8c1a512e7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pre-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pre-release.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ jobs:
       MB_EDITION: ${{ matrix.edition }}
       INTERACTIVE: false
     steps:
+    - name: Fail early if custom docker relaese repo is missing
+      if: ${{ env.CUSTOM_REPO == null }}
+      run: exit 1
     - name: Check out the code
       uses: actions/checkout@v3
       with:
@@ -64,7 +67,6 @@ jobs:
       run: while ! curl -s 'http://localhost:3000/api/health' | grep '{"status":"ok"}'; do sleep 1; done
 
   containerize:
-    if: env.CUSTOM_REPO != null
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
     needs: check-uberjar-health
     timeout-minutes: 15
@@ -124,7 +126,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Determine the target Docker Hub repository
       run: |
           echo "DOCKERHUB_REPO=${{ github.repository_owner }}/${{ env.CUSTOM_REPO }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo "IMAGE_NAME=${{ env.COMMIT_IDENTIFIER }}-${{ matrix-edition }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "IMAGE_NAME=${{ env.COMMIT_IDENTIFIER }}-${{ matrix.edition }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
     - name: Retag and push container image to Docker Hub
       run: |
         echo "Pushing container image ${{ env.IMAGE_NAME}} to ${{ env.DOCKERHUB_REPO }} ..."
@@ -155,7 +157,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Determine the container image to pull
       run: |
           echo "DOCKERHUB_REPO=${{ github.repository_owner }}/${{ env.CUSTOM_REPO }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo "IMAGE_NAME=${{ env.COMMIT_IDENTIFIER }}-${{ matrix-edition }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "IMAGE_NAME=${{ env.COMMIT_IDENTIFIER }}-${{ matrix.edition }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
     - name: Pull the container image
       run: |
         echo "Pulling container image ${{ env.DOCKERHUB_REPO }}:${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }} ..."