diff --git a/systemd/conservancy-www-update.sh b/systemd/conservancy-www-update.sh
index c3ba354bc8e3ec9db78218550d75d8eefc07b94a..4d427531d0b5df2eee9eb28e48768be341d46666 100755
--- a/systemd/conservancy-www-update.sh
+++ b/systemd/conservancy-www-update.sh
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ fi
 IFS=/ read git_remote git_refspec <<EOF
 $git_upstream
 EOF
-git fetch --quiet --no-tags "${git_remote}/${git_refspec}"
+git fetch --quiet --no-tags "$git_remote" "$git_refspec"
 if [ "$(git rev-parse "$PRODUCTION_BRANCH")" = "$(git rev-parse "$git_upstream")" ]; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
 exitcode=0
-git merge --quiet --ff-only "$git_remote" "$git_refspec"
+git merge --quiet --ff-only "${git_remote}/${git_refspec}"
 python3 -m compileall -q -x - www || exitcode=$?
 chgrp -R www-data www || exitcode=$?
 chmod -R g+rX-w,o+X-w www || exitcode=$?