diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 1220e659540..d54c9a5d81a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -635,10 +635,6 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 5
     if: github.event.pull_request.draft != true
-    permissions:
-      contents: read
-      issues: read
-
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@8e8c483db84b4bee98b60c0593521ed34d9990e8 # v6.0.1
@@ -664,8 +660,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build
         run: pnpm build:docs
         env:
-          # TODO: work out why we can't use `GITHUB_TOKEN` as we're using it in the docs repo
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           SKIP_GITHUB_ISSUES: ${{ (github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event_name == 'merge_group') && 'true' || '' }}
 
diff --git a/tools/docs/github-query-items.ts b/tools/docs/github-query-items.ts
index 6dd566b14ec..c3005824273 100644
--- a/tools/docs/github-query-items.ts
+++ b/tools/docs/github-query-items.ts
@@ -78,20 +78,7 @@ export async function getOpenGitHubItems(): Promise<RenovateOpenItems> {
   }
 
   if (process.env.CI) {
-    if (
-      process.env.GITHUB_REF === 'main' &&
-      process.env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY !== 'renovatebot/renovatebot.github.io' &&
-      process.env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY !== 'renovatebot/renovate'
-    ) {
-      logger.warn(
-        {
-          repository: process.env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY,
-          ref: process.env.GITHUB_REF,
-        },
-        "Skipping collection of open GitHub Issues, as we're running CI on a non-HEAD branch of Renovate or its docs site",
-      );
-      return result;
-    }
+    return result;
   }
 
   try {