diff --git a/agent/runner.go b/agent/runner.go
index d974024d4..a4d7081bc 100644
--- a/agent/runner.go
+++ b/agent/runner.go
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ func (r *Runner) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 			state.Pipeline.Step.Environment["CI_BUILD_STATUS"] = "failure"
 			state.Pipeline.Step.Environment["CI_JOB_STATUS"] = "failure"
 		}
+
 		return nil
 	})
 
diff --git a/pipeline/drone_compatibility.go b/pipeline/drone_compatibility.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..11d11e591
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pipeline/drone_compatibility.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Woodpecker Authors
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package pipeline
+
+// SetDroneEnviron set dedicated to DroneCI environment vars as compatibility
+// layer. Main purpose is to be compatible with drone plugins.
+func SetDroneEnviron(env map[string]string) {
+	// webhook
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_BRANCH", "DRONE_BRANCH", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST", "DRONE_PULL_REQUEST", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_TAG", "DRONE_TAG", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_SOURCE_BRANCH", "DRONE_SOURCE_BRANCH", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_TARGET_BRANCH", "DRONE_TARGET_BRANCH", env)
+	// pipeline
+	copy("CI_PIPELINE_NUMBER", "DRONE_BUILD_NUMBER", env)
+	copy("CI_PIPELINE_PARENT", "DRONE_BUILD_PARENT", env)
+	copy("CI_PIPELINE_EVENT", "DRONE_BUILD_EVENT", env)
+	copy("CI_PIPELINE_STATUS", "DRONE_BUILD_STATUS", env)
+	copy("CI_PIPELINE_LINK", "DRONE_BUILD_LINK", env)
+	copy("CI_PIPELINE_CREATED", "DRONE_BUILD_CREATED", env)
+	copy("CI_PIPELINE_STARTED", "DRONE_BUILD_STARTED", env)
+	copy("CI_PIPELINE_FINISHED", "DRONE_BUILD_FINISHED", env)
+	// commit
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_SHA", "DRONE_COMMIT", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_SHA", "DRONE_COMMIT_SHA", env)
+	copy("CI_PREV_COMMIT_SHA", "DRONE_COMMIT_BEFORE", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_REF", "DRONE_COMMIT_REF", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_BRANCH", "DRONE_COMMIT_BRANCH", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_LINK", "DRONE_COMMIT_LINK", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_MESSAGE", "DRONE_COMMIT_MESSAGE", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_AUTHOR", "DRONE_COMMIT_AUTHOR", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_AUTHOR", "DRONE_COMMIT_AUTHOR_NAME", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL", "DRONE_COMMIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL", env)
+	copy("CI_COMMIT_AUTHOR_AVATAR", "DRONE_COMMIT_AUTHOR_AVATAR", env)
+	// repo
+	copy("CI_REPO", "DRONE_REPO", env)
+	copy("CI_REPO_SCM", "DRONE_REPO_SCM", env)
+	copy("CI_REPO_OWNER", "DRONE_REPO_OWNER", env)
+	copy("CI_REPO_NAME", "DRONE_REPO_NAME", env)
+	copy("CI_REPO_LINK", "DRONE_REPO_LINK", env)
+	copy("CI_REPO_DEFAULT_BRANCH", "DRONE_REPO_BRANCH", env)
+	copy("CI_REPO_PRIVATE", "DRONE_REPO_PRIVATE", env)
+	// clone
+	copy("CI_REPO_CLONE_URL", "DRONE_REMOTE_URL", env)
+	copy("CI_REPO_CLONE_URL", "DRONE_GIT_HTTP_URL", env)
+	// misc
+	copy("CI_SYSTEM_HOST", "DRONE_SYSTEM_HOST", env)
+	copy("CI_STEP_NUMBER", "DRONE_STEP_NUMBER", env)
+}
+
+func copy(woodpecker, drone string, env map[string]string) {
+	var present bool
+	var value string
+
+	value, present = env[woodpecker]
+	if present {
+		env[drone] = value
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pipeline/frontend/drone_compatibility.go b/pipeline/frontend/drone_compatibility.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 687440e44..000000000
--- a/pipeline/frontend/drone_compatibility.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,60 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2022 Woodpecker Authors
-//
-// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-// You may obtain a copy of the License at
-//
-//      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-//
-// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-// limitations under the License.
-
-package frontend
-
-// setDroneEnviron set dedicated to DroneCI environment vars as compatibility layer
-func (m *Metadata) setDroneEnviron(env map[string]string) {
-	// webhook
-	env["DRONE_BRANCH"] = env["CI_COMMIT_BRANCH"]
-	env["DRONE_PULL_REQUEST"] = env["CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST"]
-	env["DRONE_TAG"] = env["CI_COMMIT_TAG"]
-	env["DRONE_SOURCE_BRANCH"] = env["CI_COMMIT_SOURCE_BRANCH"]
-	env["DRONE_TARGET_BRANCH"] = env["CI_COMMIT_TARGET_BRANCH"]
-	// pipeline
-	env["DRONE_BUILD_NUMBER"] = env["CI_PIPELINE_NUMBER"]
-	env["DRONE_BUILD_PARENT"] = env["CI_PIPELINE_PARENT"]
-	env["DRONE_BUILD_EVENT"] = env["CI_PIPELINE_EVENT"]
-	env["DRONE_BUILD_STATUS"] = env["CI_PIPELINE_STATUS"]
-	env["DRONE_BUILD_LINK"] = env["CI_PIPELINE_LINK"]
-	env["DRONE_BUILD_CREATED"] = env["CI_PIPELINE_CREATED"]
-	env["DRONE_BUILD_STARTED"] = env["CI_PIPELINE_STARTED"]
-	env["DRONE_BUILD_FINISHED"] = env["CI_PIPELINE_FINISHED"]
-	// commit
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT"] = env["CI_COMMIT_SHA"]
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT_SHA"] = env["CI_COMMIT_SHA"]
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT_BEFORE"] = env["CI_PREV_COMMIT_SHA"]
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT_REF"] = env["CI_COMMIT_REF"]
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT_BRANCH"] = env["CI_COMMIT_BRANCH"]
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT_LINK"] = env["CI_COMMIT_LINK"]
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT_MESSAGE"] = env["CI_COMMIT_MESSAGE"]
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT_AUTHOR"] = env["CI_COMMIT_AUTHOR"]
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT_AUTHOR_NAME"] = env["CI_COMMIT_AUTHOR"]
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL"] = env["CI_COMMIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL"]
-	env["DRONE_COMMIT_AUTHOR_AVATAR"] = env["CI_COMMIT_AUTHOR_AVATAR"]
-	// repo
-	env["DRONE_REPO"] = env["CI_REPO"]
-	env["DRONE_REPO_SCM"] = env["CI_REPO_SCM"]
-	env["DRONE_REPO_OWNER"] = env["CI_REPO_OWNER"]
-	env["DRONE_REPO_NAME"] = env["CI_REPO_NAME"]
-	env["DRONE_REPO_LINK"] = env["CI_REPO_LINK"]
-	env["DRONE_REPO_BRANCH"] = env["CI_REPO_DEFAULT_BRANCH"]
-	env["DRONE_REPO_PRIVATE"] = env["CI_REPO_PRIVATE"]
-	// clone
-	env["DRONE_REMOTE_URL"] = env["CI_REPO_CLONE_URL"]
-	env["DRONE_GIT_HTTP_URL"] = env["CI_REPO_CLONE_URL"]
-	// misc
-	env["DRONE_SYSTEM_HOST"] = env["CI_SYSTEM_HOST"]
-	env["DRONE_STEP_NUMBER"] = env["CI_STEP_NUMBER"]
-}
diff --git a/pipeline/frontend/metadata.go b/pipeline/frontend/metadata.go
index 197ccf1af..7797c09cf 100644
--- a/pipeline/frontend/metadata.go
+++ b/pipeline/frontend/metadata.go
@@ -246,8 +246,6 @@ func (m *Metadata) Environ() map[string]string {
 		params["CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST"] = pullRegexp.FindString(m.Curr.Commit.Ref)
 	}
 
-	m.setDroneEnviron(params)
-
 	return params
 }
 
diff --git a/pipeline/pipeline.go b/pipeline/pipeline.go
index 572ea84fb..1ae1a2eea 100644
--- a/pipeline/pipeline.go
+++ b/pipeline/pipeline.go
@@ -175,6 +175,9 @@ func (r *Runtime) execAll(steps []*backend.Step) <-chan error {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			// add compatibility for drone-ci plugins
+			SetDroneEnviron(step.Environment)
+
 			logger.Debug().
 				Str("Step", step.Name).
 				Msg("Executing")
diff --git a/pipeline/tracer.go b/pipeline/tracer.go
index 38c338b80..8c4b5a6fe 100644
--- a/pipeline/tracer.go
+++ b/pipeline/tracer.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func (f TraceFunc) Trace(state *State) error {
 
 // DefaultTracer provides a tracer that updates the CI_ environment
 // variables to include the correct timestamp and status.
-// TODO(bradrydzewski) find either a new home or better name for this.
+// TODO: find either a new home or better name for this.
 var DefaultTracer = TraceFunc(func(state *State) error {
 	if state.Process.Exited {
 		return nil