diff --git a/.github/workflows/format.yml b/.github/workflows/format.yml
index 97ab11e4..8962d9d0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/format.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/format.yml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get -y install clang-format-12
 
       - name: Check formatting
-        run: tests/test-format.sh "$GITHUB_BASE_REF"
+        run: tests/test-format.sh
 
       - name: Upload patches
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
diff --git a/tests/test-format.sh b/tests/test-format.sh
index 7196e260..1dd9cdbd 100755
--- a/tests/test-format.sh
+++ b/tests/test-format.sh
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@
 
 set -e
 
-[ -z "$1" ] && exit
+if [ -z "$GITHUB_BASE_REF" ]
+then
+  echo "This script is only meant to be run in a GitHub Workflow"
+  exit 1
+fi
 
-basebranch=$1
-
-CHANGED_FILES=$(git diff --name-only "$basebranch"...HEAD)
+CHANGED_FILES=$(git diff --name-only "$GITHUB_BASE_REF"...HEAD)
 
 CHANGED=0