diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f492230244..dba6c5e6e7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -46,9 +46,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
       - name: Run check ${{ matrix.tests.label }}
-        run: make github_ci_runner
-        env:
-          CI_GITHUB_COMMAND: ${{ matrix.tests.command }}
+        run: AWX_DOCKER_CMD='${{ matrix.tests.command }}' make github_ci_runner
 
   dev-env:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 642513dace..896dcf2c6c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -301,13 +301,20 @@ test:
 	cd awxkit && $(VENV_BASE)/awx/bin/tox -re py3
 	awx-manage check_migrations --dry-run --check  -n 'missing_migration_file'
 
+## Login to Github container image registry, pull image, then build image.
 github_ci_setup:
-	echo $(CI_GITHUB_TOKEN) | docker login ghcr.io -u $(GITHUB_ACTOR) --password-stdin  # Log in to registry
+	# GITHUB_ACTOR is automatic github actions env var
+	# CI_GITHUB_TOKEN is defined in .github files
+	echo $(CI_GITHUB_TOKEN) | docker login ghcr.io -u $(GITHUB_ACTOR) --password-stdin
 	docker pull $(DEVEL_IMAGE_NAME) || :  # Pre-pull image to warm build cache
-	make docker-compose-build	 # Build image
+	make docker-compose-build
 
-github_ci_runner: github_ci_setup
-	docker run -u $(shell id -u) --rm -v $(GITHUB_WORKSPACE):/awx_devel/:Z --workdir=/awx_devel $(DEVEL_IMAGE_NAME) $(CI_GITHUB_COMMAND)
+## Runs AWX_DOCKER_CMD inside a new docker container.
+docker-runner:
+	docker run -u $(shell id -u) --rm -v $(shell pwd):/awx_devel/:Z --workdir=/awx_devel $(DEVEL_IMAGE_NAME) $(AWX_DOCKER_CMD)
+
+## Builds image and runs AWX_DOCKER_CMD in it, mainly for .github checks.
+github_ci_runner: github_ci_setup docker-runner
 
 test_collection:
 	rm -f $(shell ls -d $(VENV_BASE)/awx/lib/python* | head -n 1)/no-global-site-packages.txt