diff --git a/catalog/dags/common/ingestion_server.py b/catalog/dags/common/ingestion_server.py
index 54e0c3622e6..43a628fb12e 100644
--- a/catalog/dags/common/ingestion_server.py
+++ b/catalog/dags/common/ingestion_server.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
 from airflow.exceptions import AirflowSkipException
-from airflow.models import Variable
 from airflow.providers.http.operators.http import SimpleHttpOperator
 from airflow.providers.http.sensors.http import HttpSensor
 from requests import Response
@@ -160,13 +159,12 @@ def api_health_check(
     retry. The task is set to retry with exponential backoff, such that the retry delay
     doubles between each attempt.
     """
-    access_token = Variable.get("API_ACCESS_TOKEN", "not_set")
     return HttpSensor(
         task_id="api_health_check",
         http_conn_id=API_CONN_ID,
         endpoint=f"{media_type}",
         request_params={"internal__index": f"{media_type}-{index_suffix}"},
-        headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}"},
+        headers={"Authorization": "Bearer {{ var.value.API_ACCESS_TOKEN }}"},
         method="GET",
         response_check=response_check_api_health_check,
         mode="reschedule",
diff --git a/catalog/tests/dags/common/test_ingestion_server.py b/catalog/tests/dags/common/test_ingestion_server.py
index b75b6526962..aca42ce4c9a 100644
--- a/catalog/tests/dags/common/test_ingestion_server.py
+++ b/catalog/tests/dags/common/test_ingestion_server.py
@@ -33,12 +33,10 @@ def clean_db():
 
 @pytest.fixture()
 def healthcheck_dag():
-    index_suffix = "my-test-suffix"
-
     # Create a DAG that just has an api_health_check task
     with DAG(dag_id=TEST_DAG_ID, schedule=None, start_date=TEST_START_DATE) as dag:
         ingestion_server.api_health_check(
-            media_type="image", index_suffix=index_suffix, timeout=timedelta(days=1)
+            media_type="image", index_suffix="my_test_suffix", timeout=timedelta(days=1)
         )
 
     return dag