diff --git a/.github/workflows/move-to-emeritus.yml b/.github/workflows/move-to-emeritus.yml
index 6b22e80201a..8c772f4358d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/move-to-emeritus.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/move-to-emeritus.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ jobs:
   create-or-update-emeritus-pr:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
+      - uses: actions/create-github-app-token@df432ceedc7162793a195dd1713ff69aefc7379e # v2.0.6
+        id: otelbot-token
+        with:
+          app-id: ${{ vars.OTELBOT_JS_APP_ID }}
+          private-key: ${{ secrets.OTELBOT_JS_PRIVATE_KEY }}
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
@@ -19,11 +24,6 @@ jobs:
           cache: 'npm'
           cache-dependency-path: package-lock.json
           node-version: 22
-      - uses: actions/create-github-app-token@df432ceedc7162793a195dd1713ff69aefc7379e # v2.0.6
-        id: otelbot-token
-        with:
-          app-id: ${{ vars.OTELBOT_JS_APP_ID }}
-          private-key: ${{ secrets.OTELBOT_JS_PRIVATE_KEY }}
       - run: node scripts/move-to-emeritus.js
         env:
           # don't use otelbot-js's token as it has more permissions than we need.