diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml
index f208634f1..ab3a63c98 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ jobs:
       contents: read
     env:
       DEFAULT_PYTHON: "3.12"
+      PAPERLESS_SECRET_KEY: "ci-typing-not-a-real-secret"
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml
index 4dbeada1b..001d763f8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ jobs:
           uv export --quiet --no-dev --all-extras --format requirements-txt --output-file requirements.txt
       - name: Compile messages
         env:
+          PAPERLESS_SECRET_KEY: "ci-release-not-a-real-secret"
           PYTHON_VERSION: ${{ steps.setup-python.outputs.python-version }}
         run: |
           cd src/
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@ jobs:
             manage.py compilemessages
       - name: Collect static files
         env:
+          PAPERLESS_SECRET_KEY: "ci-release-not-a-real-secret"
           PYTHON_VERSION: ${{ steps.setup-python.outputs.python-version }}
         run: |
           cd src/
diff --git a/.github/workflows/translate-strings.yml b/.github/workflows/translate-strings.yml
index de8bbca45..65cb41c66 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/translate-strings.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/translate-strings.yml
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ jobs:
             --group dev \
             --frozen
       - name: Generate backend translation strings
+        env:
+          PAPERLESS_SECRET_KEY: "ci-translate-not-a-real-secret"
         run: cd src/ && uv run manage.py makemessages -l en_US -i "samples*"
       - name: Install pnpm
         uses: pnpm/action-setup@fc06bc1257f339d1d5d8b3a19a8cae5388b55320 # v5.0.0