diff --git a/.github/workflows/CICD.yml b/.github/workflows/CICD.yml
index d7dd4ad97..4f92d7d73 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CICD.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CICD.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ env:
   PROJECT_DESC: "Core universal (cross-platform) utilities"
   PROJECT_AUTH: "uutils"
   RUST_MIN_SRV: "1.47.0" ## MSRV v1.47.0
-  RUST_COV_SRV: "2021-05-06" ## (~v1.52.0) supported rust version for code coverage; (date required/used by 'coverage') ## !maint: refactor when code coverage support is included in the stable channel
 
 on: [push, pull_request]
 
@@ -606,7 +605,7 @@ jobs:
         ## VARs setup
         outputs() { step_id="vars"; for var in "$@" ; do echo steps.${step_id}.outputs.${var}="${!var}"; echo ::set-output name=${var}::${!var}; done; }
         # toolchain
-        TOOLCHAIN="nightly-${{ env.RUST_COV_SRV }}" ## default to "nightly" toolchain (required for certain required unstable compiler flags) ## !maint: refactor when stable channel has needed support
+        TOOLCHAIN="nightly" ## default to "nightly" toolchain (required for certain required unstable compiler flags) ## !maint: refactor when stable channel has needed support
         # * specify gnu-type TOOLCHAIN for windows; `grcov` requires gnu-style code coverage data files
         case ${{ matrix.job.os }} in windows-*) TOOLCHAIN="$TOOLCHAIN-x86_64-pc-windows-gnu" ;; esac;
         # * use requested TOOLCHAIN if specified