diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index c3f440d1095..6d739a42199 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -168,17 +168,11 @@ default:
     - source .gitlab/gitlab-utils.sh
     # Akka token added to SSM from https://account.akka.io/token
     - export ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_akkaRepositoryToken=$(aws ssm get-parameter --region us-east-1 --name ci.dd-trace-java.akka_repo_token --with-decryption --query "Parameter.Value" --out text)
+    - export ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_mavenRepositoryProxy=$MAVEN_REPOSITORY_PROXY
+    - export ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_gradlePluginProxy=$GRADLE_PLUGIN_PROXY
     - mkdir -p .gradle
-    - export GRADLE_USER_HOME=$(pwd)/.gradle
-    - |
-      # Don't put jvm args here as it will be picked up by child gradle processes used in tests
-      cat << EOF > $GRADLE_USER_HOME/gradle.properties
-      mavenRepositoryProxy=$MAVEN_REPOSITORY_PROXY
-      gradlePluginProxy=$GRADLE_PLUGIN_PROXY
-      EOF
-    - |
-      # replace maven central part by MAVEN_REPOSITORY_PROXY in .mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.properties
-      sed -i "s|https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2/|$MAVEN_REPOSITORY_PROXY|g" .mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.properties
+    # replace maven central part by MAVEN_REPOSITORY_PROXY in .mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.properties
+    - sed -i "s|https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2/|$MAVEN_REPOSITORY_PROXY|g" .mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.properties
     - export GRADLE_OPTS="-Dorg.gradle.jvmargs='-Xms$GRADLE_MEM -Xmx$GRADLE_MEM -XX:ErrorFile=/tmp/hs_err_pid%p.log -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -XX:HeapDumpPath=/tmp'"
     - export GRADLE_ARGS=" --build-cache --stacktrace --no-daemon --parallel --max-workers=$GRADLE_WORKERS"
     - *normalize_node_index