diff --git a/.github/workflows/cron_debian.yml b/.github/workflows/cron_debian.yml
index 496b648064..08a7b1023f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cron_debian.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cron_debian.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ jobs:
         id: source_package
         run: |
           mkdir source && cd source
-          git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/seqan/seqan3.git
+          git clone --depth 1 --branch "${{ github.ref_name }}" https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}.git
           mkdir package && cd package
           cmake ../seqan3
           make package_source
diff --git a/cmake/package-lock.cmake b/cmake/package-lock.cmake
index 0aeb12bf52..f1315c523f 100644
--- a/cmake/package-lock.cmake
+++ b/cmake/package-lock.cmake
@@ -13,10 +13,17 @@
 # Ideally, both are the same, which might not always be possible: https://github.com/cpm-cmake/CPM.cmake/issues/603
 # This is needed to support CPM_USE_LOCAL_PACKAGES
 
+# Each package has a (project-prefixed) version variable, which allows changing the version of a package without
+# changing the package lock file.
+# This is useful for packaging, where there might only be an older version, e.g. of googletest, available.
+# Note that the variable has to be a cache variable to work properly, but not a forced cache variable.
+# A clean reconfigure, i.e. deleting CMakeCache.txt, is needed to update the default version in an existing
+# build directory.
+
 # cmake-format: off
 
 # cereal
-set (SEQAN3_CEREAL_VERSION 1.3.2 CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+set (SEQAN3_CEREAL_VERSION 1.3.2 CACHE STRING "")
 CPMDeclarePackage (cereal
                    NAME cereal
                    VERSION ${SEQAN3_CEREAL_VERSION}
@@ -24,7 +31,7 @@ CPMDeclarePackage (cereal
                    SYSTEM TRUE
                    OPTIONS "JUST_INSTALL_CEREAL ON" "CMAKE_MESSAGE_LOG_LEVEL WARNING")
 # benchmark
-set (SEQAN3_BENCHMARK_VERSION 1.9.2 CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+set (SEQAN3_BENCHMARK_VERSION 1.9.2 CACHE STRING "")
 CPMDeclarePackage (benchmark
                    NAME benchmark
                    VERSION ${SEQAN3_BENCHMARK_VERSION}
@@ -33,7 +40,7 @@ CPMDeclarePackage (benchmark
                    OPTIONS "BENCHMARK_ENABLE_TESTING OFF" "BENCHMARK_ENABLE_WERROR OFF"
                            "CMAKE_MESSAGE_LOG_LEVEL WARNING")
 # googletest
-set (SEQAN3_GOOGLETEST_VERSION 1.16.0 CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+set (SEQAN3_GOOGLETEST_VERSION 1.16.0 CACHE STRING "")
 CPMDeclarePackage (googletest
                    NAME GTest
                    VERSION ${SEQAN3_GOOGLETEST_VERSION}
@@ -41,7 +48,7 @@ CPMDeclarePackage (googletest
                    SYSTEM TRUE
                    OPTIONS "BUILD_GMOCK OFF" "INSTALL_GTEST OFF" "CMAKE_MESSAGE_LOG_LEVEL WARNING")
 # doxygen-awesome
-set (SEQAN3_DOXYGEN_AWESOME_VERSION 2.3.4 CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+set (SEQAN3_DOXYGEN_AWESOME_VERSION 2.3.4 CACHE STRING "")
 CPMDeclarePackage (doxygen_awesome
                    NAME doxygen_awesome
                    VERSION ${SEQAN3_DOXYGEN_AWESOME_VERSION}
@@ -49,7 +56,7 @@ CPMDeclarePackage (doxygen_awesome
                    DOWNLOAD_ONLY TRUE
                    QUIET TRUE)
 # seqan2
-set (SEQAN3_SEQAN2_VERSION 2.5.0 CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+set (SEQAN3_SEQAN2_VERSION 2.5.0 CACHE STRING "")
 CPMDeclarePackage (seqan
                    NAME seqan
                    VERSION ${SEQAN3_SEQAN2_VERSION}
@@ -58,7 +65,7 @@ CPMDeclarePackage (seqan
                    DOWNLOAD_ONLY TRUE
                    QUIET TRUE)
 # use_ccache
-set (SEQAN3_USE_CCACHE_VERSION d2a54ef555b6fc2d496a4c9506dbeb7cf899ce37 CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+set (SEQAN3_USE_CCACHE_VERSION d2a54ef555b6fc2d496a4c9506dbeb7cf899ce37 CACHE STRING "")
 CPMDeclarePackage (use_ccache
                    NAME use_ccache
                    GIT_TAG ${SEQAN3_USE_CCACHE_VERSION} # main