diff --git a/vars/getCheckoutInfo.groovy b/vars/getCheckoutInfo.groovy
index e64f1e3e288882..e273d0bfd2a7f2 100644
--- a/vars/getCheckoutInfo.groovy
+++ b/vars/getCheckoutInfo.groovy
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-def call(scmVars) {
-  def repoInfo = [:]
+def call() {
 
-  repoInfo.branch = env.ghprbSourceBranch ?: scmVars.GIT_LOCAL_BRANCH ?: scmVars.GIT_BRANCH
-  repoInfo.targetBranch = env.ghprbTargetBranch
+  def repoInfo = [
+    branch: env.ghprbSourceBranch ?: params.branch_specifier ?: 'missing branch_specifier'
+    targetBranch: env.ghprbTargetBranch
+  ]
 
   dir("kibana") {
     repoInfo.commit = sh(
diff --git a/vars/workers.groovy b/vars/workers.groovy
index 416f8e3c090a03..e05ed9b625726f 100644
--- a/vars/workers.groovy
+++ b/vars/workers.groovy
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ def base(Map params, Closure closure) {
     if (config.scm) {
       // Try to clone from Github up to 8 times, waiting 15 secs between attempts
       retryWithDelay(8, 15) {
-        checkoutInfo = getCheckoutInfo(checkout(scm))
+        checkout scm
       }
 
+      checkoutInfo = getCheckoutInfo()
       ciStats.reportGitInfo(
         checkoutInfo.branch,
         checkoutInfo.commit,