diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 82738a8e513c810ece8226c5b77a4c907b27a7c3..833c3a795c755fa72e05b0ee6fdf5b59b31e9f5c 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -517,7 +517,9 @@ renderer-pytest-on-merge-request:
     - *print-common-info
 
     # some helper variables - "|| true" to prevent failures from grep not finding anything
-    - non_be_flag=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[rend\(erer\)*[ -]*non[ -]*be\]") || true
+    # write to temporary file as workaround for failures observed with piping echo
+    - echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE > tmp.txt
+    - non_be_flag=$(grep -c --ignore-case "\[rend\(erer\)*[ -]*non[ -]*be\]" tmp.txt) || true
     # TODO: needs splitting the test between reference and cut generation
     #- ref_using_main=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[ref[ -]*using[ -]*main\]") || true
 
@@ -593,7 +595,9 @@ split-rendering-pytest-on-merge-request:
     - *print-common-info
 
     # some helper variables - "|| true" to prevent failures from grep not finding anything
-    - non_be_flag=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[split*[ -]*non[ -]*be\]") || true
+    # write to temporary file as workaround for failures observed with piping echo
+    - echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE > tmp.txt    
+    - non_be_flag=$(grep -c --ignore-case "\[split*[ -]*non[ -]*be\]" tmp.txt) || true
     # TODO: needs splitting the test between reference and cut generation
     #- ref_using_main=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[ref[ -]*using[ -]*main\]") || true
 
@@ -650,8 +654,10 @@ ivas-pytest-on-merge-request:
     - *merge-request-comparison-setup-codec
 
     # some helper variables - "|| true" to prevent failures from grep not finding anything
-    - non_be_flag=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[non[ -]*be\]") || true
-    - ref_using_main=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[ref[ -]*using[ -]*main\]") || true
+    # write to temporary file as workaround for failures observed with piping echo
+    - echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE > tmp.txt    
+    - non_be_flag=$(grep -c --ignore-case "\[non[ -]*be\]" tmp.txt) || true
+    - ref_using_main=$(grep -c --ignore-case "\[ref[ -]*using[ -]*main\]" tmp.txt) || true
 
     ### If ref_using_main is not set, checkoug the source branch to use scripts and input from there
     - if [ $ref_using_main == 0 ]; then git checkout $source_branch_commit_sha; fi
@@ -700,8 +706,10 @@ evs-pytest-on-merge-request:
     - *merge-request-comparison-setup-codec
     
     # some helper variables - "|| true" to prevent failures from grep not finding anything
-    - non_be_flag=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[evs[ -]*non[ -]*be\]") || true
-    - ref_using_main=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[ref[ -]*using[ -]*main\]") || true
+    # write to temporary file as workaround for failures observed with piping echo
+    - echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE > tmp.txt    
+    - non_be_flag=$(grep -c --ignore-case "\[evs[ -]*non[ -]*be\]" tmp.txt) || true
+    - ref_using_main=$(grep -c --ignore-case "\[ref[ -]*using[ -]*main\]" tmp.txt) || true
 
     ### If ref_using_main is not set, checkoug the source branch to use scripts and input from there
     - if [ $ref_using_main == 0 ]; then git checkout $source_branch_commit_sha; fi
@@ -972,8 +980,10 @@ codec-comparison-on-main-push:
     - cd ..
 
     # helper variable - "|| true" to prevent failures from grep not finding anything
-    - non_be_flag=$(echo $CI_COMMIT_MESSAGE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[non[ -]*be\]") || true
-    - ref_using_main=$(echo $CI_COMMIT_MESSAGE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[ref[ -]*using[ -]*main\]") || true
+    # write to temporary file as workaround for failures observed with piping echo
+    - echo $CI_COMMIT_MESSAGE > tmp.txt    
+    - non_be_flag=$(grep -c --ignore-case "\[non[ -]*be\]" tmp.txt) || true
+    - ref_using_main=$(grep -c --ignore-case "\[ref[ -]*using[ -]*main\]" tmp.txt) || true
 
     ### re-checkout the latest commit in the main branch, if ref_using_main is not set
     - if [ $ref_using_main == 0 ]; then git checkout $latest_commit;fi