"GET https://example.com/users/sign_in: unexpected status code 200 OK" when pushing to self-hosted GitLab with Kaniko about kaniko HOT 5 OPEN

CI_DEPENDENCY_PROXY_SERVER=example.com:443
CI_SERVER_HOST=example.com
CI_SERVER_URL=https://example.com
CI_COMPONENT_FQDN=example.com
CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE=registry-example.com:443/me/registry-test
CI_PIPELINE_URL=https://example.com/me/registry-test/-/pipelines/3612
CI_SERVER_FQDN=example.com
CI_REPOSITORY_URL=https://gitlab-ci-token:[MASKED]@example.com/me/registry-test.git
CI_API_GRAPHQL_URL=https://example.com/api/graphql
CI_REGISTRY=registry-example.com:443
CI_DEPENDENCY_PROXY_DIRECT_GROUP_IMAGE_PREFIX=example.com:443/me/dependency_proxy/containers
CI_API_V4_URL=https://example.com/api/v4
CI_SERVER_SHELL_SSH_HOST=example.com
CI_JOB_URL=https://example.com/me/registry-test/-/jobs/7576
CI_PROJECT_URL=https://example.com/me/registry-test
CI_DEPENDENCY_PROXY_GROUP_IMAGE_PREFIX=example.com:443/me/dependency_proxy/containers

DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker image build . -f deploy/Dockerfile --tag=kaniko

FROM busybox:musl AS busybox

FROM kaniko:latest AS kaniko

ENV PATH="/bin:/kaniko"

COPY --from=busybox /bin /bin

diff --git a/pkg/executor/push.go b/pkg/executor/push.go
index c95aecc3..393d345d 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/push.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/push.go
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ var (
 // push to every specified destination.
 func CheckPushPermissions(opts *config.KanikoOptions) error {
        targets := opts.Destinations
+       fmt.Printf("destinations: %s\n", opts.Destinations)
        // When no push and no push cache are set, we don't need to check permissions
        if opts.SkipPushPermissionCheck {
                targets = []string{}

$ /kaniko/executor --context "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}" --dockerfile "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/Dockerfile" --destination "${CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE}/foo:${CI_COMMIT_TAG}"
destinations: [registry-example.com:443/leaf-node/registry-test/foo:v0.0.19]
...
(same error seen originally)

    - mkdir -p /kaniko/.docker/
    - echo "{\"auths\":{\"$CI_REGISTRY\":{\"auth\":\"$(echo -n ${CI_REGISTRY_USER}:${CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD} | base64)\"}}}" > /kaniko/.docker/config.json

      # working:
      --destination "registry-example.com/me/registry-test/my-container:${CI_COMMIT_TAG}"
      # not working:
      --destination "registry-example.com:443/me/registry-test/my-container:${CI_COMMIT_TAG}"

## comment out this line:
#gitlab_rails['registry_port'] = "443"