diff --git a/cicd-lab-pipeline.groovy b/cicd-lab-pipeline.groovy
index cb8e951..c3c5cce 100644
--- a/cicd-lab-pipeline.groovy
+++ b/cicd-lab-pipeline.groovy
@@ -165,6 +165,9 @@
             stage("Deploy Docker services") {
                 // We need /etc/aptly-publisher.yaml to be present before
                 // services are deployed
+                // XXX: for some weird unknown reason, refresh_pillar is
+                // required to execute here
+                salt.runSaltProcessStep(master, 'I@aptly:publisher', 'saltutil.refresh_pillar', [], null, true)
                 salt.enforceState(saltMaster, 'I@aptly:publisher', 'aptly.publisher', true)
                 retry(3) {
                     sleep(5)