diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 4c000b7d8d..e679b25a26 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ variables:
   WINDOWS_IMAGE: "$CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE/$WINDOWS_AMD64_SUFFIX:$WINDOWS_TAG-$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
   WINDOWS_UPSTREAM_IMAGE: "$CI_REGISTRY/$FDO_UPSTREAM_REPO/$WINDOWS_AMD64_SUFFIX:$WINDOWS_TAG-$GST_UPSTREAM_BRANCH"
 
-  DEFAULT_MESON_ARGS: >
+  DEFAULT_MESON_ARGS: >-
     -Dlibnice:tests=disabled
     -Dlibnice:examples=disabled
     -Dlibnice:gupnp=disabled
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ variables:
     -Drs=disabled
     -Dgpl=enabled
 
-  SIMPLE_BUILD: >
+  SIMPLE_BUILD: >-
     ${DEFAULT_MESON_ARGS}
     -Dsharp=enabled
     -Domx=enabled
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ build fedora clang:
     - "windows amd64 docker"
   timeout: '45min'
   variables:
-    MESON_ARGS: >
+    MESON_ARGS: >-
       ${DEFAULT_MESON_ARGS}
       -Dpython=disabled
       -Dlibav=disabled
@@ -427,9 +427,6 @@ build fedora clang:
       -Dgst-plugins-base:pango=enabled
       -Dgst-plugins-good:cairo=enabled
       -Dgst-plugins-bad:d3d11-wgc=enabled
-    # Needs to not be empty otherwise the newline -> space replace command in
-    # `script:` will fail
-    MESON_CROSS_ARGS: ' '
   rules:
     # If this matches, it means the pipeline is running against either the main
     # or a stable branch, so make it manual
@@ -484,7 +481,7 @@ build vs2022 arm64:
     ARCH: 'arm64'
     # pango pulls in cairo which pulls in pixman which doesn't build because of
     # https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/9889
-    MESON_CROSS_ARGS: >
+    MESON_CROSS_ARGS: >-
       -Dgst-plugins-base:pango=disabled
       -Dgst-plugins-good:cairo=disabled
       -Dgst-devtools:cairo=disabled
@@ -494,10 +491,6 @@ build vs2022 arm64:
       --native-file ci/meson/vs2022-x64-native.ini
   script:
     - !reference [".build windows", "script"]
-    # For some reason, options are separated by newline instead of space, so we
-    # have to replace them first.
-    - $env:MESON_ARGS = $env:MESON_ARGS.replace("`n"," ")
-    - $env:MESON_CROSS_ARGS = $env:MESON_CROSS_ARGS.replace("`n"," ")
       # Setting up a cross build with MSVC is still non-trivial because
       # the --vsenv argument cannot be used to set it up
     - echo $env:MESON_ARGS
@@ -596,7 +589,7 @@ integration testsuites fedora:
   extends: '.test fedora x86_64'
   parallel: 8
   variables:
-    MESON_ARGS: >
+    MESON_ARGS: >-
       ${SIMPLE_BUILD}
       -Domx=disabled
       -Dsharp=disabled
@@ -628,7 +621,7 @@ gstreamer-full static build:
   stage: 'build'
   variables:
     BUILD_TYPE: "static"
-    MESON_ARGS: >
+    MESON_ARGS: >-
       -Ddoc=disabled
 
   script:
@@ -642,7 +635,7 @@ gstreamer-full-minimal static build:
     BUILD_GST_DEBUG: 'false'
     GST_WERROR: "true"
     BUILD_TYPE: "static"
-    MESON_ARGS: >
+    MESON_ARGS: >-
       -Ddoc=disabled
       -Dauto_features=disabled
       -Dgstreamer:check=enabled
@@ -766,7 +759,7 @@ valgrind ges:
 .documentation:
   extends: '.build fedora x86_64'
   variables:
-    MESON_ARGS: >
+    MESON_ARGS: >-
       ${SIMPLE_BUILD}
       -Ddoc=enabled
       -Drs=enabled