diff --git a/.semaphore/semaphore-runner.sh b/.semaphore/semaphore-runner.sh
index 06e3e725b4..eb2b56078b 100755
--- a/.semaphore/semaphore-runner.sh
+++ b/.semaphore/semaphore-runner.sh
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ apt-get install -y -t $RELEASE-backports debhelper libcurl4-openssl-dev libarchi
 apt-get purge --auto-remove -y unattended-upgrades
 systemctl unmask systemd-networkd
 systemctl enable systemd-networkd
+# Remove once https://salsa.debian.org/ci-team/autopkgtest/-/merge_requests/297 is sorted
+adduser --disabled-login --gecos 'Temporary autopkgtest user,,,' autopkgtest
 EOF
     sudo lxc-stop -n "$CONTAINER"
 }
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ for phase in "${PHASES[@]}"; do
             sudo apt-get install -y -t "$UBUNTU_RELEASE-backports" lxc
             sudo apt-get install -y python3-debian git dpkg-dev fakeroot python3-jinja2
 
-            [ -d "$AUTOPKGTEST_DIR" ] || git clone --quiet --branch=debian/5.32 --depth=1 https://salsa.debian.org/ci-team/autopkgtest.git "$AUTOPKGTEST_DIR"
+            [ -d "$AUTOPKGTEST_DIR" ] || git clone --quiet --depth=1 https://salsa.debian.org/ci-team/autopkgtest.git "$AUTOPKGTEST_DIR"
 
             create_container
         ;;