diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 746b36bf372f281160911535789d4c81b6ca8a6d..a31842daec1156d5cdc2d06d47a6ee1f8aba6f28 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ external-renderer-pytest-on-merge-request:
     - *print-common-info
 
     # some helper variables - "|| true" to prevent failures from grep not finding anything
-    - non_be_flag=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[rend(erer)*[ -]*non[ -]*be\]") || true
+    - non_be_flag=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[rend\(erer\)*[ -]*non[ -]*be\]") || true
     # TODO: needs splitting the test between reference and cut generation
     #- ref_using_main=$(echo $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE | grep -c --ignore-case "\[ref[ -]*using[ -]*main\]") || true