diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a2d46945a3bc2ba61f2258bd1751efe4ccaca2c5..d7db8fb92ddeaf2d7bb0f7498cbd5a681cc1b82a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ It is bound to the `test` stage, and uses the following variables:
 | Name                     | description                     | default value |
 | ------------------------ | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
 | `SONAR_SCANNER_IMAGE`    | The Docker image used to run [sonar-scanner](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/scan/sonarscanner/) | `sonarsource/sonar-scanner-cli:latest` |
-| `SONAR_URL`              | SonarQube server url            | _none_ (disabled) |
+| `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_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/) | `-Dsonar.host.url=${SONAR_URL} -Dsonar.projectKey=${CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG} -Dsonar.projectName=${CI_PROJECT_PATH} -Dsonar.projectBaseDir=. -Dsonar.links.homepage=${CI_PROJECT_URL} -Dsonar.links.ci=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/pipelines -Dsonar.links.issue=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/issues` |
+| `SONAR_BASE_ARGS`        | SonarQube [analysis arguments](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/analysis-parameters/) | `-Dsonar.projectKey=${CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG} -Dsonar.projectName=${CI_PROJECT_PATH} -Dsonar.projectBaseDir=. -Dsonar.links.homepage=${CI_PROJECT_URL} -Dsonar.links.ci=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/pipelines -Dsonar.links.issue=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/issues` |
 | :lock: `SONAR_GITLAB_TOKEN` | GitLab [access token](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/profile/personal_access_tokens.html) with `api` scope. When set, activates the [Sonar GitLab plugin](https://github.com/gabrie-allaigre/sonar-gitlab-plugin/#plugins-properties) integration. | _none_ |
 | `SONAR_BRANCH_ANALYSIS_DISABLED` | Set to `true` to disable automatic [Pull Request Analysis](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/pull-request/) and [Branch Analysis](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/branches/overview/)  | _none_ (enabled) |
 | `SONAR_GITLAB_ARGS`      | Extra arguments to use with [Sonar GitLab plugin](https://github.com/gabrie-allaigre/sonar-gitlab-plugin/#plugins-properties) | `-Dsonar.gitlab.url=${CI_SERVER_URL} -Dsonar.gitlab.user_token=${SONAR_GITLAB_TOKEN} -Dsonar.gitlab.project_id=${CI_PROJECT_ID} -Dsonar.gitlab.commit_sha=${CI_COMMIT_SHA} -Dsonar.gitlab.ref_name=${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}` |
diff --git a/kicker.json b/kicker.json
index c22dd30cec83b3e6cd89b8db0110e00fa30795d0..2571b6899abd3527273e3cfb7382e59976edb8a2 100644
--- a/kicker.json
+++ b/kicker.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       "default": "sonarsource/sonar-scanner-cli:latest"
     },
     {
-      "name": "SONAR_URL",
+      "name": "SONAR_HOST_URL",
       "type": "url",
       "description": "SonarQube server url",
       "mandatory": true
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
     {
       "name": "SONAR_BASE_ARGS",
       "description": "SonarQube [analysis arguments](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/analysis-parameters/)",
-      "default": "-Dsonar.host.url=${SONAR_URL} -Dsonar.projectKey=${CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG} -Dsonar.projectName=${CI_PROJECT_PATH} -Dsonar.projectBaseDir=. -Dsonar.links.homepage=${CI_PROJECT_URL} -Dsonar.links.ci=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/pipelines -Dsonar.links.issue=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/issues",
+      "default": "-Dsonar.projectKey=${CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG} -Dsonar.projectName=${CI_PROJECT_PATH} -Dsonar.projectBaseDir=. -Dsonar.links.homepage=${CI_PROJECT_URL} -Dsonar.links.ci=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/pipelines -Dsonar.links.issue=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/issues",
       "advanced": true
     },
     {
diff --git a/templates/gitlab-ci-sonar.yml b/templates/gitlab-ci-sonar.yml
index 6b76602681d18cca2d42cab507755f5019e5ffa2..89e3b06c3c9542233849356bcb2f8f5481570ed7 100644
--- a/templates/gitlab-ci-sonar.yml
+++ b/templates/gitlab-ci-sonar.yml
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ variables:
   # see: https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/analysis-parameters/
   # default uses branch analysis: https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/branches/overview/
   SONAR_BASE_ARGS: >-
-    -Dsonar.host.url=${SONAR_URL}
     -Dsonar.projectKey=${CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG}
     -Dsonar.projectName=${CI_PROJECT_PATH}
     -Dsonar.projectBaseDir=.
@@ -314,10 +313,13 @@ sonar:
   script:
     - sonar_autodetect_mr
     - if [[ "$SONAR_GITLAB_TOKEN" ]]; then sonar_extra_args=$SONAR_GITLAB_ARGS; fi
+    - |
+      if [[ "$SONAR_URL" ]] && [[ -z "$SONAR_HOST_URL" ]]
+      then 
+        log_warn '$SONAR_URL variable defined: use $SONAR_HOST_URL instead (see doc)'
+        export SONAR_HOST_URL="$SONAR_URL"
+      fi
     - sonar-scanner ${TRACE+-Dsonar.verbose=true} $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
   rules:
-    # exclude if $SONAR_URL not set
-    - if: '$SONAR_URL == null || $SONAR_URL == ""'
-      when: never
     - !reference [.test-policy, rules]