diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 833e09b788..1d9bde2a95 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ trigger:
     FDO_DISTRIBUTION_VERSION: '40'
     FDO_REPO_SUFFIX: "$FEDORA_AMD64_SUFFIX"
     FDO_DISTRIBUTION_TAG: "$FEDORA_TAG-$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
-    FDO_DISTRIBUTION_EXEC: 'GIT_BRANCH=$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME GIT_URL=$CI_REPOSITORY_URL bash ci/docker/fedora/prepare.sh'
+    FDO_DISTRIBUTION_EXEC: 'bash ci/docker/fedora/prepare.sh'
 
 .fedora fluster image:
   variables:
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ fedora amd64 toolbox:
     FDO_DISTRIBUTION_VERSION: '12'
     FDO_REPO_SUFFIX: "$DEBIAN_AMD64_SUFFIX"
     FDO_DISTRIBUTION_TAG: "$DEBIAN_TAG-$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
-    FDO_DISTRIBUTION_EXEC: 'GIT_BRANCH=$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME GIT_URL=$CI_REPOSITORY_URL bash ci/docker/debian/prepare.sh'
+    FDO_DISTRIBUTION_EXEC: 'bash ci/docker/debian/prepare.sh'
 
 debian amd64 docker:
   extends:
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ windows amd64 docker:
     FDO_BASE_IMAGE: '$CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE/$FDO_REPO_SUFFIX:$FEDORA_TAG-$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH'
     FDO_DISTRIBUTION_TAG: "abi-check-$ABI_CHECK_TAG-$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
     FDO_DISTRIBUTION_PACKAGES: 'libabigail'
-    FDO_DISTRIBUTION_EXEC: 'GIT_BRANCH=$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME GIT_URL=$CI_REPOSITORY_URL bash ci/docker/abi-check/prepare.sh'
+    FDO_DISTRIBUTION_EXEC: 'bash ci/docker/abi-check/prepare.sh'
     ABI_CHECK_CACHE: '/abi-check-cache'
 
 abi-check docker:
diff --git a/ci/scripts/create-subprojects-cache.sh b/ci/scripts/create-subprojects-cache.sh
index 82571f3bce..b9f667c746 100644
--- a/ci/scripts/create-subprojects-cache.sh
+++ b/ci/scripts/create-subprojects-cache.sh
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 
 set -eux
 
+branch="${GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH:-main}"
+repo_url="https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gstreamer.git"
+
 # get gstreamer and make all subprojects available
-git clone -b "${GIT_BRANCH}" "${GIT_URL}" /gstreamer
+git clone -b "${branch}" --depth=1 "${repo_url}" /gstreamer
 git -C /gstreamer submodule update --init --depth=1
 meson subprojects download --sourcedir /gstreamer
 ./ci/scripts/handle-subprojects-cache.py --build --cache-dir /subprojects /gstreamer/subprojects/