diff --git a/.woodpecker.yml b/.woodpecker.yml
index 9a9852a20..dbd383022 100644
--- a/.woodpecker.yml
+++ b/.woodpecker.yml
@@ -109,12 +109,11 @@ steps:
 
   # using https://github.com/pksunkara/cargo-workspaces
   publish_to_crates_io:
-    image: *rust_image
+    # necessary for libssl1.1 requirement of cargo-workspaces binary
+    image: debian:bullseye-slim
     commands:
       # reuse binstall from machete step
       - ./cargo-binstall -y cargo-workspaces
-      - apt update
-      - apt install --yes libssl
       - 'echo "pub const VERSION: &str = \"$(git describe --tag)\";" > "crates/utils/src/version.rs"'
       - cp -r migrations crates/db_schema/
       - cargo login "$CARGO_API_TOKEN"