diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 8df3f18fd..158bf5ad8 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ on:
         type: boolean
         required: true
         default: false
+      upload:
+        description: 'Upload documentation (pdfs in _static/)'
+        type: boolean
+        required: true
+        default: false
 
 defaults:
   run:
@@ -70,7 +75,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Generate build files
         env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ (env.python_version == env.python_deploy_version && (github.event.inputs.deploy || github.event.inputs.upload)) && secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN  || 'NONE' }}
         run: |
           make prepare
 
@@ -78,22 +83,27 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           make impatient-guide
           ls -lAFgh build/impatient-guide/build/html/index.html
-          mkdir -p build/deploy
-          mv build/impatient-guide/build/html build/deploy/impatient
-          ls -lAFgh build/impatient-guide/build/latex/NXImpatient.pdf
+          mkdir -p build/html
+          mv build/impatient-guide/build/html build/html/impatient
 
       - name: Build User Manual
         run: |
           make pdf
           make html
           ls -lAFgh build/manual/build/html/index.html
-          mkdir -p build/deploy
-          mv build/manual/build/html/* build/deploy
-          ls -lAFgh build/manual/build/latex/nexus.pdf
+          mkdir -p build/html
+          mv build/manual/build/html/* build/html
 
       - name: Deploy both the User Manual and the Impatient Guide
         if: ${{ github.event.inputs.deploy && env.python_version == env.python_deploy_version }}
         uses: JamesIves/github-pages-deploy-action@v4
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-          folder: build/deploy
+          folder: build/html
+
+      - name: Upload the User Manual and the Impatient Guide
+        if: ${{ github.event.inputs.upload && env.python_version == env.python_deploy_version }}
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: nexus-definitions-docs
+          path: build/html
diff --git a/dev_tools/utils/github.py b/dev_tools/utils/github.py
index f6cb1d237..f286594eb 100755
--- a/dev_tools/utils/github.py
+++ b/dev_tools/utils/github.py
@@ -38,8 +38,10 @@ def get_file_contributors_via_api(repo_name, file_path):
     returns a sorted dict of unique contributors to a file, or None if no GH_TOKEN has been defined in os.environ
     """
     have_token = False
-    if "GH_TOKEN" in os.environ.keys():
-        access_token = os.environ["GH_TOKEN"]
+    access_token = os.getenv("GH_TOKEN")
+    if (
+        access_token is not None and access_token != "NONE"
+    ):  # latter clause is false in most CI cases
         if len(access_token) > 0:
             have_token = True
     else: