diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 0c4ea050f74da0f1db8426534b3fbfe6e05461d9..a2f6e5e305bbdf9eec1dd032c95721d6a4f0b660 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1432,7 +1432,7 @@ split-rendering-pytest-on-merge-request:
   -   *update-scripts-repo
   # a bit awkward: write to file + standard out first so that the error message is visivle in case of failure. Then fill the variable from the file
   -   ci/get_float_ref_branch_name.sh $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME | tee tmp_ref_branch.txt
-  -   REFERENCE_BRANCH=$(cat tmp_ref_branch.txt)
+  -   FLOAT_REF_BRANCH=$(cat tmp_ref_branch.txt)
   - fi
 
 ### jobs that check for bitexactness of fx encoder and decoder
@@ -1558,6 +1558,7 @@ check-regressions-short-enc--10db:
     - .rules-mr-to-main-or-main-pc
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
+    - *set-reference-for-basop-port-branch
     - USE_LTV=0
     - DUT_DECODER_PATH=./IVAS_dec_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE_ENCODER"
@@ -1608,6 +1609,7 @@ check-regressions-short-dec--10db:
     - .rules-mr-to-main-or-main-pc
     - .test-job-linux
   before_script:
+    - *set-reference-for-basop-port-branch
     - USE_LTV=0
     - DUT_ENCODER_PATH=./IVAS_cod_ref
     - TEST_SUITE="$SHORT_TEST_SUITE"