diff --git a/.drone.yml b/.drone.yml
index 3cf71c7f3b7..bcfe2e19dc2 100644
--- a/.drone.yml
+++ b/.drone.yml
@@ -673,12 +673,15 @@ steps:
 
 - name: dispatch
   image: curlimages/curl:7.74.0
+  secrets: [ pat_username, github_token, release_token_k3s ] 
   user: root
   environment:
     PAT_USERNAME:
       from_secret: pat_username
     PAT_TOKEN:
       from_secret: github_token
+    K3S_RELEASE_TOKEN:
+      from_secret: release_token_k3s
   commands:
     - apk -U --no-cache add bash
     - scripts/dispatch
diff --git a/scripts/dispatch b/scripts/dispatch
index ee320089f5a..d12e5c24831 100755
--- a/scripts/dispatch
+++ b/scripts/dispatch
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ curl -XPOST -u "${PAT_USERNAME}:${PAT_TOKEN}" \
 SYSTEM_AGENT_INSTALLER_K3S_REPO="https://api.github.com/repos/rancher/system-agent-installer-k3s/dispatches"
 
 # send dispatch event to SYSTEM_AGENT_INSTALLER_K3S_REPO
-curl -XPOST -u "${PAT_USERNAME}:${PAT_TOKEN}" \
+curl -XPOST -H "Authorization: Bearer ${K3S_RELEASE_TOKEN}" \
         -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.everest-preview+json"  \
-        -H "Content-Type: application/json" $SYSTEM_AGENT_INSTALLER_K3S_REPO \
+        -H "Content-Type: application/vnd.github+json" $SYSTEM_AGENT_INSTALLER_K3S_REPO \
         --data '{"event_type": "create_tag", "client_payload": {"tag":"'"$DRONE_TAG"'"}}'