diff --git a/.github/workflows/clang-format.yml b/.github/workflows/clang-format.yml
index 5fe5e589d..a8ba8a273 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/clang-format.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/clang-format.yml
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ jobs:
             old_fname="$(echo -e ${fname})"
             new_fname="$(echo -e "${fname}" | tr ' ' '_')"
             new_fname="$(echo -e "${new_fname}" | tr 'A-Z' 'a-z')"
-            if [ '$old_fname' != '$new_fname' ]
+            if [ $old_fname != $new_fname ]
             then
               echo "'${old_fname}' --> ${new_fname}"
-              git mv '${old_fname}' ${new_fname}
+              git mv "${old_fname}" ${new_fname}
             fi
           done
           git commit -am "formatting filenames $GITHUB_SHA" ||  true