diff --git a/.github/workflows/removed_runner.yml b/.github/workflows/removed_runner.yml
index a8a94ea..d7efee9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/removed_runner.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/removed_runner.yml
@@ -18,14 +18,20 @@ jobs:
   test-removed-runner:
     name: Test Removed Runner
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    env:
-      GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.READ_REPO_TOKEN }}
+
     steps:
-      - name: Check runner removal
+      - name: List runners
+        run: |
+          echo "RUNNERS_FOUND=$(gh api "repos/zama-ai/slab-github-runner/actions/runners" --jq '.runners[].name')" >> "${GITHUB_ENV}"
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.READ_REPO_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Check runner removed
+        if: inputs.must-exist == false
+        run: |
+          ( echo "${{ env.RUNNERS_FOUND }}" | grep --line-regexp -q "${{ inputs.runner-name }}" ) && { exit 1; } || exit 0
+
+      - name: Check runner persists
+        if: inputs.must-exist == true
         run: |
-          RUNNERS_FOUND=$(gh api "repos/zama-ai/slab-github-runner/actions/runners" --jq '.runners[].name') 
-          if [ ${{ inputs.must-exist }} == true ]; then
-            echo "$RUNNERS_FOUND" | grep -w "${{ inputs.runner-name }}" || exit 1
-          else
-            echo "$RUNNERS_FOUND" | grep -w "${{ inputs.runner-name }}" || exit 0
-          fi
+          ( echo "${{ env.RUNNERS_FOUND }}" | grep --line-regexp -q "${{ inputs.runner-name }}" ) || exit 1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_spawn_terminate.yml b/.github/workflows/test_spawn_terminate.yml
index 24e39e9..0c7fa35 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_spawn_terminate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_spawn_terminate.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Generate output
         id: gen-output
         run: |
-          echo "runner_${{ matrix.provider }}=${{ steps.test-start.outputs.label }}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "runner_${{ matrix.provider }}=${{ steps.test-start.outputs.label }}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
 
   test-runner-alive-aws:
     name: Test runner is alive (AWS)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_start_stop.yml b/.github/workflows/test_start_stop.yml
index b998e77..af3f9ae 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_start_stop.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_start_stop.yml
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@ jobs:
     uses: ./.github/workflows/removed_runner.yml
     with:
       runner-name: ci-persistent-runner
+      must-exist: true
     secrets:
-      READ_REPO_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.READ_REPO_TOKEN }}
\ No newline at end of file
+      READ_REPO_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SLAB_ACTION_TOKEN }}
\ No newline at end of file