diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index d5702f6f9d..6eee56dd68 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ checkupdates_runner:
   script:
     # Get app IDs in this batch
     - |
-      metadata_files=$( ls metadata/*.yml | sort -R )
+      metadata_files=(metadata/*.yml)
       declare -a APPIDS
       for file in ${metadata_files}
       do
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ checkupdates_runner:
       done
     - export APPIDS_COUNT=${#APPIDS[@]}
     - export APPIDS_BATCH_SIZE=$(($APPIDS_COUNT / $CI_NODE_TOTAL + 1))
-    - export CHECKUPDATES_APPIDS=${APPIDS[@]:$((($CI_NODE_INDEX - 1) * $APPIDS_BATCH_SIZE)):$(($CI_NODE_INDEX * $APPIDS_BATCH_SIZE))}
+    - export CHECKUPDATES_APPIDS=$(${APPIDS[@]:$((($CI_NODE_INDEX - 1) * $APPIDS_BATCH_SIZE)):$(($CI_NODE_INDEX * $APPIDS_BATCH_SIZE))})
 
     - echo $APPIDS_COUNT
     - echo $APPIDS_BATCH_SIZE