diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 12921612d98..ac229fa9433 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -39,12 +39,8 @@ commands:
       - run:
           name: adding UPLOAD_CHANNEL to BASH_ENV
           command: |
-            our_upload_channel=nightly
-            # On tags upload to test instead
-            if [[ -n "${CIRCLE_TAG}" ]]; then
-              our_upload_channel=test
-            fi
-            echo "export UPLOAD_CHANNEL=${our_upload_channel}" >> ${BASH_ENV}
+            # hard code channel for release so that PRs work on test channell
+            echo "export UPLOAD_CHANNEL=test" >> ${BASH_ENV}
 
 binary_common: &binary_common
   parameters:
diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml.in b/.circleci/config.yml.in
index e086da7d1b8..3b9c2a22376 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml.in
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml.in
@@ -39,12 +39,8 @@ commands:
       - run:
           name: adding UPLOAD_CHANNEL to BASH_ENV
           command: |
-            our_upload_channel=nightly
-            # On tags upload to test instead
-            if [[ -n "${CIRCLE_TAG}" ]]; then
-              our_upload_channel=test
-            fi
-            echo "export UPLOAD_CHANNEL=${our_upload_channel}" >> ${BASH_ENV}
+            # hard code channel for release so that PRs work on test channell
+            echo "export UPLOAD_CHANNEL=test" >> ${BASH_ENV}
 
 binary_common: &binary_common
   parameters: