diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 69aac89b4a52d646712d26b9316d3bf065ab3e33..f9b98c64e49747d812981e95903e4b5cf5b276f3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ It is bound to the `test` stage, and uses the following variables:
 | Name                     | description                            | default value     |
 | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | ----------------- |
 | `SONAR_HOST_URL`         | SonarQube server url                   | _none_ (disabled) |
-| :lock: `SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN`| SonarQube authentication [token](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/user-guide/user-token/) (depends on your authentication method) | _none_ |
+| :lock: `SONAR_TOKEN`     | SonarQube authentication [token](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/user-guide/user-token/) (depends on your authentication method) | _none_ |
 | :lock: `SONAR_LOGIN`     | SonarQube login (depends on your authentication method)                | _none_ |
 | :lock: `SONAR_PASSWORD`  | SonarQube password (depends on your authentication method)             | _none_ |
 | `SONAR_BASE_ARGS`        | SonarQube [analysis arguments](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/analysis-parameters/) | `sonar:sonar -Dsonar.links.homepage=${CI_PROJECT_URL} -Dsonar.links.ci=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/pipelines -Dsonar.links.issue=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/issues` |
diff --git a/kicker.json b/kicker.json
index 617b8ef68c2d53c0df806569660aae6d439ec642..dac9f5addf95d531e42fd6e9a6722da8911d5667 100644
--- a/kicker.json
+++ b/kicker.json
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
           "mandatory": true
         },
         {
-          "name": "SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN",
+          "name": "SONAR_TOKEN",
           "description": "SonarQube authentication [token](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/user-guide/user-token/) (depends on your authentication method)",
           "secret": true
         },
diff --git a/templates/gitlab-ci-maven.yml b/templates/gitlab-ci-maven.yml
index 24f23fd9a3a791df93f5863caaf7ac6f763ab5ff..4f7a7acf649132f2863bf724a1939d90d897204a 100644
--- a/templates/gitlab-ci-maven.yml
+++ b/templates/gitlab-ci-maven.yml
@@ -149,9 +149,9 @@ stages:
   }
 
   function sonar_http_auth_args() {
-    if [[ -n "$SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN" ]]
+    if [[ -n "$SONAR_TOKEN" ]]
     then
-      echo "$SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN:"
+      echo "$SONAR_TOKEN:"
     elif [[ -n "$SONAR_LOGIN" ]] && [[ -n "$SONAR_PASSWORD" ]]
     then
       echo "$SONAR_LOGIN:$SONAR_PASSWORD"
@@ -506,8 +506,14 @@ mvn-sonar:
         log_warn '$SONAR_URL variable defined: use $SONAR_HOST_URL instead (see doc)'
         export SONAR_HOST_URL="$SONAR_URL"
       fi
+    - |
+      if [[ "$SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN" ]] && [[ -z "$SONAR_TOKEN" ]]
+      then 
+        log_warn '$SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN variable defined: use $SONAR_TOKEN instead (see doc)'
+        export SONAR_TOKEN="$SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN"
+      fi
     - if [[ "$SONAR_GITLAB_TOKEN" ]]; then sonar_extra_args="$SONAR_GITLAB_ARGS"; fi
-    - mvn ${TRACE+-Dsonar.verbose=true} $MAVEN_CLI_OPTS $mvn_settings_opt $java_proxy_args ${SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN+-Dsonar.login=$SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN} ${SONAR_LOGIN+-Dsonar.login=$SONAR_LOGIN} ${SONAR_PASSWORD+-Dsonar.password=$SONAR_PASSWORD} $SONAR_BASE_ARGS $sonar_extra_args $sonar_mr_args
+    - mvn ${TRACE+-Dsonar.verbose=true} $MAVEN_CLI_OPTS $mvn_settings_opt $java_proxy_args ${SONAR_LOGIN+-Dsonar.login=$SONAR_LOGIN} ${SONAR_PASSWORD+-Dsonar.password=$SONAR_PASSWORD} $SONAR_BASE_ARGS $sonar_extra_args $sonar_mr_args
     - if [[ "$SONAR_QUALITY_GATE_ENABLED" == "true" ]]; then sonar_quality_gate_check; fi
   rules:
     # exclude if $SONAR_URL and $SONAR_HOST_URL not set