diff --git a/.github/workflows/nvm-install-test.yml b/.github/workflows/nvm-install-test.yml
index fd82d2b7c2..856e2f9a1e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nvm-install-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nvm-install-test.yml
@@ -20,9 +20,12 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
       - id: matrix
+        env:
+          EVENT_NAME: ${{ github.event_name }}
+          INPUT_REF: ${{ github.event.inputs.ref }}
         run: |
-          if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" == "workflow_dispatch" ] && [ -n "${{ github.event.inputs.ref }}" ]; then
-            echo "matrix=\"[\"${{ github.event.inputs.ref }}\"]\"" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          if [ "$EVENT_NAME" == "workflow_dispatch" ] && [ -n "$INPUT_REF" ]; then
+            echo "matrix=\"[\"$INPUT_REF\"]\"" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           else
             TAGS="$((echo "HEAD" && git tag --sort=-v:refname --merged HEAD --format='%(refname:strip=2) %(creatordate:short)' | grep '^v' | while read tag date; do
               if [ "$(uname)" == "Darwin" ]; then
@@ -57,14 +60,16 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: resolve HEAD to sha
+        env:
+          MATRIX_REF: ${{ matrix.ref }}
         run: |
-          if [ '${{ matrix.ref }}' = 'HEAD' ]; then
+          if [ "$MATRIX_REF" = 'HEAD' ]; then
             REF="$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
           else
-            REF="${{ matrix.ref }}"
+            REF="$MATRIX_REF"
           fi
           echo "resolved ref: ${REF}"
-          echo "ref="$REF"" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "ref=$REF" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - run: echo $- # which options are set
       - run: echo node > .nvmrc
         if: ${{ matrix.has-nvmrc == 'nvmrc' }}
@@ -80,18 +85,22 @@ jobs:
           . $NVM_DIR/nvm.sh && nvm --version
       - name: nvm install in 1 shell level, ${{ matrix.has-nvmrc }}
         if: ${{ matrix.shell-level == '1 shlvl' }}
+        env:
+          HAS_NVMRC: ${{ matrix.has-nvmrc }}
         run: |
           set -ex
           . $NVM_DIR/nvm.sh
           echo nvm.sh sourced
           nvm --version
-          if [ '${{ matrix.has-nvmrc }}' == 'nvmrc' ]; then
+          if [ "$HAS_NVMRC" == 'nvmrc' ]; then
             nvm install
           fi
       - name: nvm install in 2 shell levels, ${{ matrix.has-nvmrc }}
         if: ${{ matrix.shell-level == '2 shlvls' }}
+        env:
+          HAS_NVMRC: ${{ matrix.has-nvmrc }}
         run: |
-          if [ '${{ matrix.has-nvmrc }}' == 'nvmrc' ]; then
+          if [ "$HAS_NVMRC" == 'nvmrc' ]; then
             bash -c "set -ex && . $NVM_DIR/nvm.sh && echo nvm.sh sourced && nvm --version && nvm install"
           else
             bash -c "set -ex && . $NVM_DIR/nvm.sh && echo nvm.sh sourced && nvm --version"