diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
index ac03061e..8e282c4a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ jobs:
 
       # the soroban CLI & RPC source code to compile and run from system test
       # refers to checked out source of current git hub ref context
-      SYSTEM_TEST_SOROBAN_CLI_REF: ${{ github.workspace }}/soroban-tools
-      SYSTEM_TEST_SOROBAN_RPC_REF: ${{ github.workspace }}/soroban-rpc
+      SYSTEM_TEST_SOROBAN_CLI_REF: https://github.com/stellar/soroban-tools
+      SYSTEM_TEST_SOROBAN_RPC_REF: https://github.com/stellar/soroban-rpc
 
       # core git ref should be latest commit for stable soroban functionality
       # the core bin can either be compiled in-line here as part of ci,
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
         name: checkout soroban-tools
         with:
+          repository: stellar/soroban-tools
           path: soroban-tools
+
       - if: ${{ env.SYSTEM_TEST_JS_STELLAR_SDK_GH_REPO != ''}}
         name: prepare local js-stellar-sdk
         run: |