diff --git a/.github/scripts/goldenfile_checker.sh b/.github/scripts/goldenfile_checker.sh
index 3c0f9228b6..128cd624df 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/goldenfile_checker.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/goldenfile_checker.sh
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ set -euo pipefail
 # check if there is a diff in the xds testdata directory after running `make envoy-regen`
 make envoy-regen
 
-echo "$GITHUB_BASE_REF"
-echo $(git merge-base HEAD "origin/$GITHUB_BASE_REF")
-changed_xds_files=$(git --no-pager diff --name-only HEAD "$(git merge-base HEAD "origin/$GITHUB_BASE_REF")" | egrep "agent/xds/testdata/.*")
-
+echo "origin/$GIT_BRANCH_REF"
+echo "getting changed files"
+changed_xds_files=$(git --no-pager diff --name-only HEAD "$(git merge-base HEAD "origin/$GITHUB_BRANCH_REF")" | egrep "agent/xds/testdata/.*" || true)
+echo "got changed files"
 # If we do not find a file in .changelog/, we fail the check
 if [ -z "$changed_xds_files" ]; then
   # pass status check if no changes were found for xds files