diff --git a/.github/workflows/trigger-gitlab.yml b/.github/workflows/trigger-gitlab.yml
index 94a33821f..8743f13d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/trigger-gitlab.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/trigger-gitlab.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Checkout branch
         id: pr_data
+        env:
+          BRANCH: ${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_branch }}
         run: |
           PR_DATA=$(mktemp)
           # use uuid as a file terminator to avoid conflicts with data content
@@ -50,7 +52,7 @@ jobs:
             echo "pr_branch=PR-$PR" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             git checkout -b PR-$PR
           else
-            git checkout ${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_branch }}
+            git checkout "${BRANCH}"
           fi
 
       - name: Download artifacts
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ jobs:
           if [[ "${SKIP_CI}" == true ]];then
             git push -f -o ci.variable="SKIP_CI=true" ci
           else
-            git push -f ci 
+            git push -f ci
           fi
 
       - name: Trigger GitLab nightly pipeline against this PR