diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull_request_check.yaml b/.github/workflows/pull_request_check.yaml
index 690f96da39..ff450bfb5e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull_request_check.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull_request_check.yaml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ jobs:
     name: pull request check
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: nearform/github-action-check-linked-issues@v1.4.5
+      - uses: nearform-actions/github-action-check-linked-issues@v1.4.5
         id: check-linked-issues
         with:
           exclude-branches: "release_v**, backport_v**, main, latest-dep-update-**, min-dep-update-**, dependabot/**"          
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release_notes_updated.yaml b/.github/workflows/release_notes_updated.yaml
index 926d127945..b88d8b6340 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release_notes_updated.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release_notes_updated.yaml
@@ -15,24 +15,28 @@ jobs:
           ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
           repository: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name }}
       - name: Debug PR type
+        env:
+          REF: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
         run: |
-          if [[ $(expr match "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}" "release_v[0-9.]\+") -gt 0 ]]; then
+          if [[ $(expr match "$REF" "release_v[0-9.]\+") -gt 0 ]]; then
             echo This is a release PR;
-          elif [[ $(expr match "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}" "latest-dep-update-[a-zA-Z0-9]*") -gt 0 ]]; then
+          elif [[ $(expr match "$REF" "latest-dep-update-[a-zA-Z0-9]*") -gt 0 ]]; then
             echo This is a latest dependency update PR;
-          elif [[ $(expr match "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}" "min-dep-update-[a-zA-Z0-9]*") -gt 0 ]]; then
+          elif [[ $(expr match "$REF" "min-dep-update-[a-zA-Z0-9]*") -gt 0 ]]; then
             echo This is a minimum dependency update PR;
           else
             echo This is a regular PR;
           fi
             echo "PR #: ${{ github.event.number }}"
       - name: Release notes added
+        env:
+          REF: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
         run: |
-          if [[ $(expr match "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}" "release_v[0-9.]\+") -gt 0 ]]; then
+          if [[ $(expr match "$REF" "release_v[0-9.]\+") -gt 0 ]]; then
             exit 0;
-          elif [[ $(expr match "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}" "latest-dep-update-[a-zA-Z0-9]*") -gt 0 ]]; then
+          elif [[ $(expr match "$REF" "latest-dep-update-[a-zA-Z0-9]*") -gt 0 ]]; then
             exit 0;
-          elif [[ $(expr match "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}" "min-dep-update-[a-zA-Z0-9]*") -gt 0 ]]; then
+          elif [[ $(expr match "$REF" "min-dep-update-[a-zA-Z0-9]*") -gt 0 ]]; then
             exit 0;
           fi
           cat docs/source/release_notes.rst | grep ":pr:\`${{ github.event.number }}\`"
diff --git a/docs/source/release_notes.rst b/docs/source/release_notes.rst
index feec36a785..352c0370bb 100644
--- a/docs/source/release_notes.rst
+++ b/docs/source/release_notes.rst
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Release Notes
     * Documentation Changes
     * Testing Changes
         * Run airflow tests in Python 3.9 :pr:`4391`
+        * Update GH actions to improve handling of potentially unsafe variables :pr:`4417`
 
 .. warning::