diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-jupyterhub-base-images.yaml b/.github/workflows/deploy-jupyterhub-base-images.yaml
index b38d1f696..9b8acb35c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-jupyterhub-base-images.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-jupyterhub-base-images.yaml
@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@ jobs:
               echo "DEPLOY=1" >> $GITHUB_ENV
             fi
           done
-          echo "Deploying base hub images to all deployments"
+          if [[ -n "${DEPLOY}" ]]; then
+            echo "Deploying base hub images to all deployments"
+          else
+            echo "No hub images to deploy"
+          fi
 
       - name: Setup python
         if: ${{ env.DEPLOY }}
@@ -57,13 +61,13 @@ jobs:
           install_components: 'gke-gcloud-auth-plugin,kubectl'
 
       - name: Get GKE credentials for the cluster
+        if: ${{ env.DEPLOY }}
         uses: 'google-github-actions/get-gke-credentials@v2'
         with:
           cluster_name: ${{ secrets.GKE_CLUSTER_NAME }}
           location: ${{ secrets.GKE_CLUSTER_LOCATION }}
           project_id: ${{ secrets.GCP_PROJECT_ID }}
 
-
       - name: Install SOPS
         if: ${{ env.DEPLOY }}
         run: |