diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yaml b/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yaml
index 34ab0a20f3..b5c2429247 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yaml
@@ -46,13 +46,13 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: build_runner
-        run: echo ${{ inputs.build_runner }}
+        run: echo '${{ inputs.build_runner }}'
       - name: build_runner_from_json
-        run: echo ${{ fromJson(inputs.build_runner) }}
+        run: echo '${{ fromJson(inputs.build_runner) }}'
       - name: test_runner
-        run: echo ${{ inputs.test_runner }}
+        run: echo '${{ inputs.test_runner }}'
       - name: test_runner_from_json
-        run: echo ${{ fromJson(inputs.test_runner) }}
+        run: echo '${{ fromJson(inputs.test_runner) }}'
 
   build:
     runs-on: ${{ fromJson(inputs.build_runner) }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests_new.yaml b/.github/workflows/tests_new.yaml
index 58dbf7db2b..7e3c679e01 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests_new.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests_new.yaml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
       # Use self-hosted runners or fall back to GitHub hosted runners when self-hosted are offline
       build_runner: ${{ needs.start_action_runners.outputs.active == '0' && toJson('ubuntu-latest') || '["self-hosted","jetstream2","CPU"]' }}
       # Default to ubuntu-latest when unset
-      test_runner: ${{ matrix.test_runner == '' && 'ubuntu-latest' || toJson(matrix.test_runner) }}
+      test_runner: ${{ matrix.test_runner == '' && toJson('ubuntu-latest') || toJson(matrix.test_runner) }}
       test_docker_options: ${{ matrix.test_docker_options }}
       # Default to false when unset
       validate: ${{ matrix.validate == '' && 'false' || matrix.validate }}
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ jobs:
       config: ${{ join(matrix.config, '_') }}
       container_prefix: ${{ matrix.config[0] }}
       # Use self-hosted runners or fall back to GitHub hosted runners when self-hosted are offline
-      build_runner: ${{ needs.start_action_runners.outputs.active == '0' && 'ubuntu-latest' || '["self-hosted","jetstream2","CPU"]' }}
+      build_runner: ${{ needs.start_action_runners.outputs.active == '0' && toJson('ubuntu-latest') || '["self-hosted","jetstream2","CPU"]' }}
       # Default to ubuntu-latest when unset
-      test_runner: ${{ matrix.test_runner == '' && 'ubuntu-latest' || toJson(matrix.test_runner) }}
+      test_runner: ${{ matrix.test_runner == '' && toJson('ubuntu-latest') || toJson(matrix.test_runner) }}
       test_docker_options: ${{ matrix.test_docker_options }}
       # Default to false when unset
       validate: ${{ matrix.validate == '' && 'false' || matrix.validate }}