diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index dcc0cbb7c9693..145a25c809565 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -81,6 +81,15 @@ default:
     paths:
       - artifacts/
 
+.prepare-env:
+  before_script:
+    # TODO: remove unset invocation when we'll be free from 'ENV RUSTC_WRAPPER=sccache' & sccache
+    # itself in all images
+    - unset RUSTC_WRAPPER
+    # $WASM_BUILD_WORKSPACE_HINT enables wasm-builder to find the Cargo.lock from within generated
+    # packages
+    - export WASM_BUILD_WORKSPACE_HINT="$PWD"
+
 .job-switcher:
   before_script:
     - if echo "$CI_DISABLED_JOBS" | grep -xF "$CI_JOB_NAME"; then echo "The job has been cancelled in CI settings"; exit 0; fi
@@ -89,6 +98,7 @@ default:
   image:                           "${CI_IMAGE}"
   before_script:
     - !reference [.job-switcher, before_script]
+    - !reference [.prepare-env, before_script]
   tags:
     - kubernetes-parity-build
 
@@ -115,9 +125,8 @@ default:
 .docker-env:
   image:                           "${CI_IMAGE}"
   before_script:
-    # TODO: remove unset invocation when we'll be free from 'ENV RUSTC_WRAPPER=sccache' & sccache itself in all images
-    - unset RUSTC_WRAPPER
     - !reference [.job-switcher, before_script]
+    - !reference [.prepare-env, before_script]
     - !reference [.rust-info-script, script]
     - !reference [.rusty-cachier, before_script]
     - !reference [.pipeline-stopper-vars, script]
diff --git a/scripts/ci/gitlab/pipeline/publish.yml b/scripts/ci/gitlab/pipeline/publish.yml
index 68a10e8aa1ddd..f2fd64bc34d73 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/gitlab/pipeline/publish.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/gitlab/pipeline/publish.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     DOCKERFILE:                    $PRODUCT.Dockerfile
     IMAGE_NAME:                    docker.io/$IMAGE_PATH
   before_script:
-    - !reference [.job-switcher, before_script]
+    - !reference [.kubernetes-env, before_script]
     - cd ./artifacts/$PRODUCT/
     - VERSION="$(cat ./VERSION)"
     - echo "${PRODUCT} version = ${VERSION}"