diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/build.yml b/.gitlab/ci/build.yml
index ae4d74ad4c9..bd3f41c6ed8 100644
--- a/.gitlab/ci/build.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/build.yml
@@ -82,10 +82,8 @@ build_template_app:
     - run_cmd idf-build-apps build
       -p tools/test_apps/system/clang_build_test
       -t $IDF_TARGET
-      --parallel-count ${CI_NODE_TOTAL:-1}
-      --parallel-index ${CI_NODE_INDEX:-1}
-      --modified-components ${MR_MODIFIED_COMPONENTS}
-      --modified-files ${MR_MODIFIED_FILES}
+      --modified-components \"${MR_MODIFIED_COMPONENTS}\"
+      --modified-files \"${MR_MODIFIED_FILES}\"
       $TEST_BUILD_OPTS_EXTRA
 
 build_clang_test_apps_xtensa:
diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/host-test.yml b/.gitlab/ci/host-test.yml
index 2ff67f7dce1..6d5fc0b6794 100644
--- a/.gitlab/ci/host-test.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/host-test.yml
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ test_pytest_qemu:
       --build-system cmake
       --target $IDF_TARGET
       -m qemu
-      --modified-files ${MR_MODIFIED_FILES}
+      --modified-files \"${MR_MODIFIED_FILES}\"
     - run_cmd idf-ci gitlab download-known-failure-cases-file ${KNOWN_FAILURE_CASES_FILE_NAME}
     - run_cmd pytest
       --target $IDF_TARGET
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ test_pytest_linux:
       -p components -p examples -p tools/test_apps
       --target linux
       --only-test-related
-      --modified-files ${MR_MODIFIED_FILES}
+      --modified-files \"${MR_MODIFIED_FILES}\"
     - run_cmd idf-ci gitlab download-known-failure-cases-file ${KNOWN_FAILURE_CASES_FILE_NAME}
     - run_cmd pytest
       --target linux
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ test_pytest_macos:
       --target linux
       --only-test-related
       -m macos
-      --modified-files ${MR_MODIFIED_FILES}
+      --modified-files \"${MR_MODIFIED_FILES}\"
     - run_cmd idf-ci gitlab download-known-failure-cases-file ${KNOWN_FAILURE_CASES_FILE_NAME}
     - run_cmd pytest
       --target linux