diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 84b1a2c93..c3213b820 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ jobs:
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
     steps:
       - name: Check PR target branch
+        env:
+          BASE_REF: ${{ github.base_ref }}
         run: |
-          if [ "${{ github.base_ref }}" = "master" ]; then
+          if [ "$BASE_REF" = "master" ]; then
             echo "::error::PRs to master branch are not allowed. Please target the 'dev' branch instead."
             echo ""
             echo "PULL REQUESTS TO MASTER ARE BLOCKED"
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
             echo "Please close this PR and create a new one targeting 'dev'."
             exit 1
           else
-            echo "PR targets '${{ github.base_ref }}' branch - OK"
+            echo "PR targets '${BASE_REF}' branch - OK"
           fi
 
   test:
@@ -132,6 +134,10 @@ jobs:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: Create or update draft release
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          NOTES: ${{ steps.notes.outputs.notes }}
+          TARGET_SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
         run: |
           EXISTING_DRAFT=$(gh release list --json tagName,isDraft --jq '.[] | select(.isDraft == true and .tagName == "next") | .tagName')
           
@@ -140,8 +146,8 @@ jobs:
             gh release edit next \
               --title "Upcoming Changes 🍿" \
               --notes-file - \
-              --draft <<'EOF'
-          ${{ steps.notes.outputs.notes }}
+              --draft <<EOF
+          $NOTES
           EOF
           else
             echo "Creating new draft release..."
@@ -149,9 +155,7 @@ jobs:
               --title "Upcoming Changes 🍿" \
               --notes-file - \
               --draft \
-              --target ${{ github.sha }} <<'EOF'
-          ${{ steps.notes.outputs.notes }}
+              --target "$TARGET_SHA" <<EOF
+          $NOTES
           EOF
           fi
-        env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/sisyphus-agent.yml b/.github/workflows/sisyphus-agent.yml
index 3d4f33cf1..7c83e3151 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sisyphus-agent.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sisyphus-agent.yml
@@ -40,8 +40,10 @@ jobs:
 
       # gh CLI auth as sisyphus-dev-ai
       - name: Authenticate gh CLI as sisyphus-dev-ai
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_PAT }}
         run: |
-          echo "${{ secrets.GH_PAT }}" | gh auth login --with-token
+          echo "$GITHUB_TOKEN" | gh auth login --with-token
           gh auth status
 
       - name: Ensure tmux is available (Linux)
@@ -372,28 +374,33 @@ jobs:
         if: steps.context.outputs.comment_id != ''
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_PAT }}
+          REPOSITORY: ${{ github.repository }}
+          COMMENT_ID: ${{ steps.context.outputs.comment_id }}
         run: |
-          gh api "/repos/${{ github.repository }}/issues/comments/${{ steps.context.outputs.comment_id }}/reactions" \
+          gh api "/repos/${REPOSITORY}/issues/comments/${COMMENT_ID}/reactions" \
             -X POST -f content="eyes" || true
 
       - name: Add working label
         if: steps.context.outputs.number != ''
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_PAT }}
+          REPOSITORY: ${{ github.repository }}
+          CONTEXT_TYPE: ${{ steps.context.outputs.type }}
+          CONTEXT_NUMBER: ${{ steps.context.outputs.number }}
         run: |
           gh label create "sisyphus: working" \
-            --repo "${{ github.repository }}" \
+            --repo "$REPOSITORY" \
             --color "fcf2e1" \
             --description "Sisyphus is currently working on this" \
             --force || true
           
-          if [[ "${{ steps.context.outputs.type }}" == "pr" ]]; then
-            gh pr edit "${{ steps.context.outputs.number }}" \
-              --repo "${{ github.repository }}" \
+          if [[ "$CONTEXT_TYPE" == "pr" ]]; then
+            gh pr edit "$CONTEXT_NUMBER" \
+              --repo "$REPOSITORY" \
               --add-label "sisyphus: working" || true
           else
-            gh issue edit "${{ steps.context.outputs.number }}" \
-              --repo "${{ github.repository }}" \
+            gh issue edit "$CONTEXT_NUMBER" \
+              --repo "$REPOSITORY" \
               --add-label "sisyphus: working" || true
           fi
 
@@ -514,26 +521,30 @@ jobs:
         if: always()
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_PAT }}
+          REPOSITORY: ${{ github.repository }}
+          COMMENT_ID: ${{ steps.context.outputs.comment_id }}
+          CONTEXT_NUMBER: ${{ steps.context.outputs.number }}
+          CONTEXT_TYPE: ${{ steps.context.outputs.type }}
         run: |
-          if [[ -n "${{ steps.context.outputs.comment_id }}" ]]; then
-            REACTION_ID=$(gh api "/repos/${{ github.repository }}/issues/comments/${{ steps.context.outputs.comment_id }}/reactions" \
+          if [[ -n "$COMMENT_ID" ]]; then
+            REACTION_ID=$(gh api "/repos/${REPOSITORY}/issues/comments/${COMMENT_ID}/reactions" \
               --jq '.[] | select(.content == "eyes" and .user.login == "sisyphus-dev-ai") | .id' | head -1)
             if [[ -n "$REACTION_ID" ]]; then
-              gh api -X DELETE "/repos/${{ github.repository }}/reactions/${REACTION_ID}" || true
+              gh api -X DELETE "/repos/${REPOSITORY}/reactions/${REACTION_ID}" || true
             fi
 
-            gh api "/repos/${{ github.repository }}/issues/comments/${{ steps.context.outputs.comment_id }}/reactions" \
+            gh api "/repos/${REPOSITORY}/issues/comments/${COMMENT_ID}/reactions" \
               -X POST -f content="+1" || true
           fi
 
-          if [[ -n "${{ steps.context.outputs.number }}" ]]; then
-            if [[ "${{ steps.context.outputs.type }}" == "pr" ]]; then
-              gh pr edit "${{ steps.context.outputs.number }}" \
-                --repo "${{ github.repository }}" \
+          if [[ -n "$CONTEXT_NUMBER" ]]; then
+            if [[ "$CONTEXT_TYPE" == "pr" ]]; then
+              gh pr edit "$CONTEXT_NUMBER" \
+                --repo "$REPOSITORY" \
                 --remove-label "sisyphus: working" || true
             else
-              gh issue edit "${{ steps.context.outputs.number }}" \
-                --repo "${{ github.repository }}" \
+              gh issue edit "$CONTEXT_NUMBER" \
+                --repo "$REPOSITORY" \
                 --remove-label "sisyphus: working" || true
             fi
           fi