diff --git a/jjb/pipeline/all-xos-api-test-helm.groovy b/jjb/pipeline/all-xos-api-test-helm.groovy
index 73e9dd7..63904ee 100644
--- a/jjb/pipeline/all-xos-api-test-helm.groovy
+++ b/jjb/pipeline/all-xos-api-test-helm.groovy
@@ -115,12 +115,13 @@
            #!/usr/bin/env bash
            set -eu -o pipefail
 
+           echo "" > $WORKSPACE/xos_tags.yaml
            # skip projects that aren't the XOS core repository
-           if [ "${gerrit_project}" != "xos" ]; then
+           if [ "$GERRIT_PROJECT" != "xos" ]; then
              exit 0
            fi
 
-           echo "" > \${WORKSPACE}/updated_dockerfiles
+           echo "" > $WORKSPACE/updated_dockerfiles
            XOS_MAJOR=\$(cut -b 1 cord/orchestration/xos/VERSION)
            XOS_VERSION=\$(cat cord/orchestration/xos/VERSION)
 
@@ -128,21 +129,21 @@
            for df in cord/orchestration/xos_services/*/Dockerfile.synchronizer cord/orchestration/profiles/*/Dockerfile.synchronizer
            do
              df_contents=\$(cat "\$df")
-             if [[ "\$df_contents" =~ "FROM xosproject/xos-synchronizer-base:\${XOS_MAJOR}" ||
+             if [[ "\$df_contents" =~ "FROM xosproject/xos-synchronizer-base:\$XOS_MAJOR" ||
                    "\$df_contents" =~ "FROM xosproject/xos-synchronizer-base:master" ]]
              then
                sed -i "s/^FROM\\(.*\\):.*\$/FROM\\1:\$XOS_VERSION/" "\$df"
-               echo "\${WORKSPACE}/\$df" >> \${WORKSPACE}/updated_dockerfiles
+               echo "$WORKSPACE/\$df" >> $WORKSPACE/updated_dockerfiles
              fi
            done
 
            # create values file with core version tags
            # not indented because heredoc requires it
-           cat << EOF > \${WORKSPACE}/xos_tags.yaml
+           cat << EOF > $WORKSPACE/xos_tags.yaml
 ---
-xos_coreImage: 'xosproject/xos-core:\${XOS_VERSION}'
-xos_chameleonImage: 'xosproject/chameleon:\${XOS_VERSION}'
-xos_toscaImage: 'xosproject/xos-tosca:\${XOS_VERSION}'
+xos_coreImage: 'xosproject/xos-core:\$XOS_VERSION'
+xos_chameleonImage: 'xosproject/chameleon:\$XOS_VERSION'
+xos_toscaImage: 'xosproject/xos-tosca:\$XOS_VERSION'
 EOF
            """
       }
@@ -209,7 +210,7 @@
            helm_install_args='-f examples/image-tag-candidate.yaml -f examples/imagePullPolicy-IfNotPresent.yaml -f examples/api-test-values.yaml'
 
            # skip projects that aren't the XOS core repository
-           if [ "${gerrit_project}" != "xos" ]; then
+           if [ "$GERRIT_PROJECT" != "xos" ]; then
              helm_install_args+=' -f $WORKSPACE/xos_tags.yaml'
            fi
 
diff --git a/jjb/pipeline/xos-synchronizer-update.groovy b/jjb/pipeline/xos-synchronizer-update.groovy
index a4c715e..208d8b4 100644
--- a/jjb/pipeline/xos-synchronizer-update.groovy
+++ b/jjb/pipeline/xos-synchronizer-update.groovy
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@
            #!/usr/bin/env bash
            set -eu -o pipefail
 
-           echo "" > \${WORKSPACE}/updated_dockerfiles
+           echo "" > $WORKSPACE/xos_tags.yaml
+           echo "" > $WORKSPACE/updated_dockerfiles
            XOS_MAJOR=\$(cut -b 1 cord/orchestration/xos/VERSION)
            XOS_VERSION=\$(cat cord/orchestration/xos/VERSION)
 
@@ -124,21 +125,21 @@
            for df in cord/orchestration/xos_services/*/Dockerfile.synchronizer cord/orchestration/profiles/*/Dockerfile.synchronizer
            do
              df_contents=\$(cat "\$df")
-             if [[ "\$df_contents" =~ "FROM xosproject/xos-synchronizer-base:\${XOS_MAJOR}" ||
+             if [[ "\$df_contents" =~ "FROM xosproject/xos-synchronizer-base:\$XOS_MAJOR" ||
                    "\$df_contents" =~ "FROM xosproject/xos-synchronizer-base:master" ]]
              then
                sed -i "s/^FROM\\(.*\\):.*\$/FROM\\1:\$XOS_VERSION/" "\$df"
-               echo "\${WORKSPACE}/\$df" >> \${WORKSPACE}/updated_dockerfiles
+               echo "$WORKSPACE/\$df" >> $WORKSPACE/updated_dockerfiles
              fi
            done
 
            # create values file with core version tags
            # not indented because heredoc requires it
-           cat << EOF > \${WORKSPACE}/xos_tags.yaml
+           cat << EOF > $WORKSPACE/xos_tags.yaml
 ---
-xos_coreImage: 'xosproject/xos-core:\${XOS_VERSION}'
-xos_chameleonImage: 'xosproject/chameleon:\${XOS_VERSION}'
-xos_toscaImage: 'xosproject/xos-tosca:\${XOS_VERSION}'
+xos_coreImage: 'xosproject/xos-core:\$XOS_VERSION'
+xos_chameleonImage: 'xosproject/chameleon:\$XOS_VERSION'
+xos_toscaImage: 'xosproject/xos-tosca:\$XOS_VERSION'
 EOF
            """
       }