diff --git a/client/ayon_deadline/plugins/publish/global/collect_deadline_job_env_vars.py b/client/ayon_deadline/plugins/publish/global/collect_deadline_job_env_vars.py
index 79150ebb79..9b2cf63a5b 100644
--- a/client/ayon_deadline/plugins/publish/global/collect_deadline_job_env_vars.py
+++ b/client/ayon_deadline/plugins/publish/global/collect_deadline_job_env_vars.py
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ class CollectDeadlineJobEnvVars(pyblish.api.ContextPlugin):
 
         # Not sure how this is usefull for farm, scared to remove
         "PYBLISHPLUGINPATH",
+
+        # NOTE still required by GlobalPreLoadJob.py, but might not be set by
+        #   ayon-core anymore
+        "AYON_DEFAULT_SETTINGS_VARIANT",
     ]
 
     def process(self, context):
diff --git a/client/ayon_deadline/plugins/publish/global/submit_publish_job.py b/client/ayon_deadline/plugins/publish/global/submit_publish_job.py
index 82f4e0348c..9eb97b9e51 100644
--- a/client/ayon_deadline/plugins/publish/global/submit_publish_job.py
+++ b/client/ayon_deadline/plugins/publish/global/submit_publish_job.py
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@ def _submit_deadline_post_job(
             "--targets", "deadline",
             "--targets", "farm",
         ]
-        # TODO remove when AYON launcher respects environment variable
-        #   'AYON_DEFAULT_SETTINGS_VARIANT'
+        # TODO remove settings variant handling when not needed anymore
+        #   which should be when package.py defines 'core>1.1.1' .
         settings_variant = os.environ["AYON_DEFAULT_SETTINGS_VARIANT"]
         if settings_variant == "staging":
             args.append("--use-staging")
diff --git a/client/ayon_deadline/repository/custom/plugins/GlobalJobPreLoad.py b/client/ayon_deadline/repository/custom/plugins/GlobalJobPreLoad.py
index 99f02eb3db..e2002ff70a 100644
--- a/client/ayon_deadline/repository/custom/plugins/GlobalJobPreLoad.py
+++ b/client/ayon_deadline/repository/custom/plugins/GlobalJobPreLoad.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     FileUtils,
     DirectoryUtils,
 )
-__version__ = "1.2.0"
+__version__ = "1.2.1"
 VERSION_REGEX = re.compile(
     r"(?P<major>0|[1-9]\d*)"
     r"\.(?P<minor>0|[1-9]\d*)"
@@ -558,8 +558,12 @@ def inject_ayon_environment(deadlinePlugin):
         ]
 
         # staging requires passing argument
-        # TODO could be switched to env var after https://github.com/ynput/ayon-launcher/issues/123
-        settings_variant = job.GetJobEnvironmentKeyValue("AYON_DEFAULT_SETTINGS_VARIANT")  # noqa
+        # TODO could be removed when PR in ayon-core starts to fill
+        #  'AYON_USE_STAGING' (https://github.com/ynput/ayon-core/pull/1130)
+        #  - add requirement for "core>=1.1.1" to 'package.py' when removed
+        settings_variant = job.GetJobEnvironmentKeyValue(
+            "AYON_DEFAULT_SETTINGS_VARIANT"
+        )
         if settings_variant == "staging":
             args.append("--use-staging")
 
@@ -583,9 +587,11 @@ def inject_ayon_environment(deadlinePlugin):
             "AYON_BUNDLE_NAME": ayon_bundle_name,
         }
 
-        automatic_tests = job.GetJobEnvironmentKeyValue("AYON_IN_TESTS")
-        if automatic_tests:
-            environment["AYON_IN_TESTS"] = automatic_tests
+        for key in ("AYON_USE_STAGING", "AYON_IN_TESTS"):
+            value = job.GetJobEnvironmentKeyValue(key)
+            if value:
+                environment[key] = value
+
         for env, val in environment.items():
             # Add the env var for the Render Plugin that is about to render
             deadlinePlugin.SetEnvironmentVariable(env, val)