diff --git a/.github/workflows/clang-format.yml b/.github/workflows/clang-format.yml
index db96de16a..5fe5e589d 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} ${new_fname}
+              echo "'${old_fname}' --> ${new_fname}"
+              git mv '${old_fname}' ${new_fname}
             fi
           done
           git commit -am "formatting filenames $GITHUB_SHA" ||  true