diff --git a/.buildkite/pipeline.elastic-agent-package.yml b/.buildkite/pipeline.elastic-agent-package.yml
index 6502053d9c0..35301da0e33 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipeline.elastic-agent-package.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipeline.elastic-agent-package.yml
@@ -54,9 +54,15 @@ steps:
       provider: "gcp"
       machineType: "c2-standard-16"
     command: |
-      export DEV=$(buildkite-agent meta-data get DEV --default "true")
-      export ManifestURL=$(buildkite-agent meta-data get ManifestURL --default "")
-      export MAGEFILE_VERBOSE=$(buildkite-agent meta-data get MAGEFILE_VERBOSE --default "0")
+      if [[ -z "${DEV}" ]]; then
+        export DEV=$(buildkite-agent meta-data get DEV --default "true")
+      fi
+      if [[ -z "${ManifestURL}" ]]; then
+        export ManifestURL=$(buildkite-agent meta-data get ManifestURL --default "")
+      fi
+      if [[ -z "${MAGEFILE_VERBOSE}" ]]; then
+        export MAGEFILE_VERBOSE=$(buildkite-agent meta-data get MAGEFILE_VERBOSE --default "0")
+      fi
 
       .buildkite/scripts/steps/package.sh
     artifact_paths:
@@ -72,8 +78,10 @@ steps:
       DRA_PROJECT_ARTIFACT_ID: "elastic-agent-package"
     command: |
       buildkite-agent artifact download 'build/distributions/**' build/distributions --step package_elastic-agent
-      export MAGEFILE_VERBOSE=$(buildkite-agent meta-data get MAGEFILE_VERBOSE --default "0")
-      if [[ -n "${DRA_DRY_RUN}" ]]; then
+      if [[ -z "${MAGEFILE_VERBOSE}" ]]; then
+        export MAGEFILE_VERBOSE=$(buildkite-agent meta-data get MAGEFILE_VERBOSE --default "0")
+      fi
+      if [[ -z "${DRA_DRY_RUN}" ]]; then
         DRA_DRY_RUN=$(buildkite-agent meta-data get DRA_DRY_RUN --default "--dry-run")
         export DRA_DRY_RUN
       fi
diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/steps/dra-publish.sh b/.buildkite/scripts/steps/dra-publish.sh
index 36951203293..b34b31e65a3 100755
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/steps/dra-publish.sh
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/steps/dra-publish.sh
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function run_release_manager() {
       exit 1
     fi
 
-    echo "+++ Publishing $BUILDKITE_BRANCH ${WORKFLOW} DRA artifacts..."
+    echo "+++ :hammer_and_pick: Publishing $BUILDKITE_BRANCH ${WORKFLOW} DRA artifacts..."
     if [ "$BUILDKITE_PULL_REQUEST" != "false" ]; then
         # force main branch on PR's or it won't execute
         # because the PR branch does not have a project folder in release-manager