diff --git a/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml b/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml
index 8304cd0..cfe4e46 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ jobs:
       runs_on: ${{ inputs.runs_on }}
 
   veristat-meta:
-    if: ${{ inputs.run_veristat && github.repository_owner == 'kernel-patches' }}
+    # Check for vars.AWS_REGION is necessary to skip this job in case of a PR from a fork.
+    if: ${{ inputs.run_veristat && github.repository_owner == 'kernel-patches' && vars.AWS_REGION }}
     uses: ./.github/workflows/veristat-meta.yml
     needs: [build]
     permissions:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml b/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
index 032305a..ae73efe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: libbpf/ci/tar-artifacts@v2
         env:
           ARCHIVE_BPF_SELFTESTS: 'true'
-          ARCHIVE_MAKE_HELPERS: ${{ github.repository != 'kernel-patches/bpf' && 'true' || '' }}
+          ARCHIVE_MAKE_HELPERS: 'true'
           ARCHIVE_SCHED_EXT_SELFTESTS: ${{ env.BUILD_SCHED_EXT_SELFTESTS }}
         with:
           arch: ${{ inputs.arch }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/kernel-test.yml b/.github/workflows/kernel-test.yml
index 61d42f0..f3a3b74 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/kernel-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/kernel-test.yml
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ jobs:
       DENYLIST_FILE: /tmp/denylist
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          sparse-checkout: |
+            .github
+            ci
 
       - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with: