diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-lint-changelog.yml b/.github/workflows/test-lint-changelog.yml
index 66c0219551f4..9e8ee0e992c8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-lint-changelog.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-lint-changelog.yml
@@ -15,9 +15,13 @@ jobs:
         uses: metamask/github-tools/.github/actions/setup-environment@main
 
       - name: Validate changelog
+        # For a `pull_request` event, the branch is `github.head_ref``.
+        # For a `push` event, the branch is `github.ref_name`.
         if: ${{ !startsWith(github.head_ref || github.ref_name, 'Version-v') }}
         run: yarn lint:changelog
 
       - name: Validate release candidate changelog
+        # For a `pull_request` event, the branch is `github.head_ref``.
+        # For a `push` event, the branch is `github.ref_name`.
         if: ${{ startsWith(github.head_ref || github.ref_name, 'Version-v') }}
         run: .circleci/scripts/validate-changelog-in-rc.sh
diff --git a/.github/workflows/wait-for-circleci-workflow-status.yml b/.github/workflows/wait-for-circleci-workflow-status.yml
index 725a4c3b975d..30efc6d35776 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/wait-for-circleci-workflow-status.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/wait-for-circleci-workflow-status.yml
@@ -12,14 +12,15 @@ jobs:
         env:
           OWNER: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
           REPOSITORY: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
+          # For a `pull_request` event, the branch is `github.head_ref``.
+          # For a `push` event, the branch is `github.ref_name`.
           BRANCH: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}
-          # For a `push` event, the HEAD commit hash is `github.sha`.
-          # For a `pull_request` event, `github.sha` is instead the base branch commit hash. The
-          # HEAD commit hash is `pull_request.head.sha`.
+          # For a `pull_request` event, the head commit hash is `github.event.pull_request.head.sha`.
+          # For a `push` event, the head commit hash is `github.sha`.
           HEAD_COMMIT_HASH: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
         run: |
-          pipeline_id=$(curl --silent "https://circleci.com/api/v2/project/gh/$OWNER/$REPOSITORY/pipeline?branch=$BRANCH" | jq -r ".items | map(select(.vcs.revision == \"${HEAD_COMMIT_HASH}\" )) | first | .id")
-          echo "Waiting for pipeline '${pipeline_id}' for commit hash '${HEAD_COMMIT_HASH}'"
+          pipeline_id=$(curl --silent "https://circleci.com/api/v2/project/gh/$OWNER/$REPOSITORY/pipeline?branch=$BRANCH" | jq --arg head_commit_hash "${HEAD_COMMIT_HASH}" -r '.items | map(select(.vcs.revision == $head_commit_hash)) | first | .id')
+          echo "Waiting for pipeline '${pipeline_id}', commit hash '${HEAD_COMMIT_HASH}'"
           workflow_status=$(curl --silent "https://circleci.com/api/v2/pipeline/$pipeline_id/workflow" | jq -r ".items[0].status")
 
           if [ "$workflow_status" == "running" ]; then