diff --git a/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml b/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml
index 9741de728da6179945aae1561425216a1730b87a..a3f7150da97123cd286fde5a1ba971d040c13257 100644
--- a/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml
+++ b/templates/gitlab-ci-semrel.yml
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ semantic-release:
   stage: publish
   script:
     - configure_commit_signing
-    - semantic-release --ci ${SEMREL_DRY_RUN+-d} ${TRACE+--debug}
+    - semantic-release --ci ${SEMREL_DRY_RUN:+-d} ${TRACE:+--debug}
   dependencies: []
   rules:
     - if: '$SEMREL_RELEASE_DISABLED == "true"'