diff --git a/.github/workflows/debug.yml b/.github/workflows/debug.yml
index acf9cd90c7..533e19b597 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/debug.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/debug.yml
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: check_changes
     if: needs.check_changes.outputs.must_build == 'true'
     env:
-      SKIP_LLAMA_ASSETS: "true"
+      INCLUDE_LLAMA_ASSETS: "false"
 
     steps:
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 17a8b065ba..d4879e51f5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -487,6 +487,8 @@ jobs:
           echo "google-services.json created successfully"
 
       - name: Assemble Release APK
+        env:
+          INCLUDE_LLAMA_ASSETS: "true"
         run: |
           variant_upper=$(echo "${{ matrix.variant }}" | tr '[:lower:]' '[:upper:]')
           flox activate -d flox/base -- ./gradlew :app:assemble${variant_upper}Release --no-daemon \
diff --git a/app/build.gradle.kts b/app/build.gradle.kts
index 5a381ca221..35baa127f8 100755
--- a/app/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/app/build.gradle.kts
@@ -774,13 +774,13 @@ tasks.register("recompressApk") {
 val isCiCd = System.getenv("GITHUB_ACTIONS") == "true"
 
 val skipLlamaAssets =
-	providers
-		.environmentVariable("SKIP_LLAMA_ASSETS")
-		.map { it.equals("true", ignoreCase = true) }
-		.getOrElse(false)
+    !System.getenv("INCLUDE_LLAMA_ASSETS")
+        .equals("true", ignoreCase = true)
 
 if (skipLlamaAssets) {
-	project.logger.lifecycle("SKIP_LLAMA_ASSETS enabled - debug assemble tasks will skip llama asset bundling.")
+    project.logger.lifecycle("INCLUDE_LLAMA_ASSETS is disabled - debug assemble tasks will skip llama asset bundling.")
+} else {
+    project.logger.lifecycle("INCLUDE_LLAMA_ASSETS enabled - assemble tasks will do llama asset bundling.")
 }
 
 val noCompress =
@@ -865,7 +865,7 @@ afterEvaluate {
 		if (!skipLlamaAssets) {
 			dependsOn(bundleLlamaV8Assets)
 		}
-		if (!isCiCd) {
+		if (!isCiCd && !skipLlamaAssets) {
 			dependsOn("assetsDownloadDebug")
 		}
 	}
@@ -888,7 +888,7 @@ afterEvaluate {
 		if (!skipLlamaAssets) {
 			dependsOn(bundleLlamaV7Assets)
 		}
-		if (!isCiCd) {
+		if (!isCiCd && !skipLlamaAssets) {
 			dependsOn("assetsDownloadDebug")
 		}
 	}