diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yaml b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
index bfd478581..2daad4ab8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
@@ -23,20 +23,21 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Check for branch in vscode-uitests-tooling (macos, ubuntu)
+        id: initjob
         run: |
           REPO_URL="https://api.github.com/repos/$USER/vscode-uitests-tooling/branches"
           RESPONSE=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "$REPO_URL")
 
           if ([ $? -ne 0 ]); then
-            echo "::set-output name=BRANCH_EXISTS::false"
+            echo "BRANCH_EXISTS=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           fi
 
           BRANCH_EXISTS=$(echo "$RESPONSE" | jq -r '.[] | select(.name=="'"$BRANCH"'") | .name')
 
           if [ "$BRANCH_EXISTS" == "$BRANCH" ]; then
-              echo "::set-output name=BRANCH_EXISTS::true"
+              echo "BRANCH_EXISTS=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           else
-              echo "::set-output name=BRANCH_EXISTS::false"
+              echo "BRANCH_EXISTS=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           fi
 
   main:
@@ -54,14 +55,14 @@ jobs:
       USER: "${{ github.repository_owner }}"
       BRANCH: "${{ github.ref_name }}"
       TOKEN: "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}"
-      BRANCH_EXISTS: "${{ needs.init.outputs.BRANCH_EXISTS }}"
+      BRANCH_EXISTS: "${{ BRANCH_EXISTS }}"
 
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     needs: [ init ]
     steps:
       - name: kill pipeline
         run: |
-          echo $BRANCH_EXISTS
+          echo ${{ steps.initjob.outputs.BRANCH_EXISTS }}
           KILLER = "${{github.event.pull_request.user.login}}?
           echo $KILLER