diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
index 2caf3638..06bf0019 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.next_public_url }}
           GATEKEEPER_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.GATEKEEPER_PASSWORD || 'klz2026' }}
-          PAYLOAD_SECRET: ${{ secrets.PAYLOAD_SECRET || vars.PAYLOAD_SECRET }}
+          PAYLOAD_SECRET: ${{ secrets.PAYLOAD_SECRET || vars.PAYLOAD_SECRET || 'you-need-to-set-a-payload-secret' }}
           PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH: /usr/bin/chromium
         run: pnpm run check:forms
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1a9cf7c4..cd3d2226 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
     "prepare": "husky",
     "preinstall": "npx only-allow pnpm"
   },
-  "version": "2.3.22-rc.2",
+  "version": "2.3.22-rc.3",
   "pnpm": {
     "onlyBuiltDependencies": [
       "@parcel/watcher",
diff --git a/scripts/check-forms.ts b/scripts/check-forms.ts
index 8ccb5ba0..0f8fad94 100644
--- a/scripts/check-forms.ts
+++ b/scripts/check-forms.ts
@@ -115,8 +115,10 @@ async function main() {
     // Intercept Next.js chunks and data to bypass Varnish 404-caching
     // Includes standard /_next/ and subpath /gatekeeper/_next/
     if (
-      (url.includes('/_next/static/') || url.includes('/_next/data/') || url.includes('/gatekeeper/_next/')) && 
-      !url.includes('?cb=') && 
+      (url.includes('/_next/static/') ||
+        url.includes('/_next/data/') ||
+        url.includes('/gatekeeper/_next/')) &&
+      !url.includes('?cb=') &&
       !url.includes('&cb=')
     ) {
       const buster = `cb=${Date.now()}`;
@@ -154,10 +156,10 @@ async function main() {
   const navigateWithRetry = async (url: string, label: string) => {
     chunkErrorsDetected = false;
     console.log(`\n🧪 Testing ${label} on: ${url}`);
-    
+
     // First attempt: Wait for network to be relatively idle
     await page.goto(url, { waitUntil: 'networkidle2', timeout: 30000 });
-    
+
     // REDIRECTION CHECK: Logging redirected landing page
     const finalUrl = page.url();
     if (finalUrl !== url && !finalUrl.includes(url)) {
@@ -167,7 +169,9 @@ async function main() {
     if (chunkErrorsDetected) {
       const buster = `cb=${Date.now()}`;
       const cbUrl = finalUrl.includes('?') ? `${finalUrl}&${buster}` : `${finalUrl}?${buster}`;
-      console.warn(`   ⚠️ Assets failed to load (Varnish staleness suspected). Retrying with cache-buster: ${cbUrl}`);
+      console.warn(
+        `   ⚠️ Assets failed to load (Varnish staleness suspected). Retrying with cache-buster: ${cbUrl}`,
+      );
       chunkErrorsDetected = false;
       await page.goto(cbUrl, { waitUntil: 'networkidle2', timeout: 30000 });
     }
@@ -266,10 +270,10 @@ async function main() {
     console.log(`   🔔 Alert text: ${alertText}`);
 
     // Detection robust for both English and German versions
-    const isError = 
-      alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('failed') || 
+    const isError =
+      alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('failed') ||
       alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('wrong') ||
-      alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('fehlgeschlagen') || 
+      alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('fehlgeschlagen') ||
       alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('schief gelaufen') ||
       alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('fehler');
 
@@ -329,10 +333,10 @@ async function main() {
     const alertText = await page.$eval('[role="alert"]', (el) => el.textContent);
     console.log(`   🔔 Alert text: ${alertText}`);
 
-    const isError = 
-      alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('failed') || 
+    const isError =
+      alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('failed') ||
       alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('wrong') ||
-      alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('fehlgeschlagen') || 
+      alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('fehlgeschlagen') ||
       alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('schief gelaufen') ||
       alertText?.toLowerCase().includes('fehler');
 
@@ -349,9 +353,15 @@ async function main() {
   // 5. Cleanup: Delete test submissions from Payload CMS
   console.log(`\n🧹 Starting cleanup of test submissions...`);
   const payloadSecret = process.env.PAYLOAD_SECRET;
-  
+
   if (!payloadSecret) {
-    console.warn(`   ⚠️ PAYLOAD_SECRET not found in environment. Cleanup will likely fail with 403.`);
+    console.warn(
+      `   ⚠️ PAYLOAD_SECRET not found in environment. Cleanup will likely fail with 403 if the server expects a secret.`,
+    );
+  } else {
+    console.log(
+      `   🔐 PAYLOAD_SECRET found (${payloadSecret.substring(0, 3)}...). Sending x-e2e-secret header.`,
+    );
   }
 
   try {
@@ -361,7 +371,7 @@ async function main() {
 
     // Fetch test submissions with bypass header
     const searchResponse = await axios.get(searchUrl, {
-      headers: { 
+      headers: {
         Cookie: `klz_gatekeeper_session=${gatekeeperPassword}`,
         'x-e2e-secret': payloadSecret || '',
       },
@@ -373,29 +383,31 @@ async function main() {
     for (const doc of testSubmissions) {
       try {
         await axios.delete(`${apiUrl}/${doc.id}`, {
-          headers: { 
+          headers: {
             Cookie: `klz_gatekeeper_session=${gatekeeperPassword}`,
             'x-e2e-secret': payloadSecret || '',
           },
         });
         console.log(`   ✅ Deleted submission: ${doc.id} (${doc.name})`);
       } catch (delErr: any) {
-        console.warn(
-          `   ⚠️ Cleanup attempt on ${doc.id} failed: ${delErr.message}`,
-        );
+        console.warn(`   ⚠️ Cleanup attempt on ${doc.id} failed: ${delErr.message}`);
       }
     }
-    
+
     if (testSubmissions.length > 0) {
       console.log(`✅ Cleanup completed successfully.`);
     }
   } catch (err: any) {
     if (err.response?.status === 403) {
-      console.error(
-        `   ❌ Cleanup failed with 403 Forbidden. Ensure FormSubmissions access control and PAYLOAD_SECRET are aligned.`,
-      );
+      console.error(`   ❌ Cleanup failed with 403 Forbidden.`);
+      console.error(`      Detail: The server rejected the x-e2e-secret header.`);
+      console.error(`      Server Response: ${JSON.stringify(err.response.data)}`);
     } else {
       console.error(`   ❌ Cleanup fetch failed: ${err.message}`);
+      if (err.response) {
+        console.error(`      Status: ${err.response.status}`);
+        console.error(`      Body: ${JSON.stringify(err.response.data)}`);
+      }
     }
   }