diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/setup_e2e_tests.sh b/.github/workflows/scripts/setup_e2e_tests.sh
index cd1d077b946f..e56fa174377c 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/scripts/setup_e2e_tests.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/scripts/setup_e2e_tests.sh
@@ -4,20 +4,21 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 TESTS="$(make -s -C testbed list-tests | xargs echo|sed 's/ /|/g')"
-TESTS=("${TESTS//|/ }")
+IFS='|' read -r -a TEST_ARRAY <<< "$TESTS"
+
 MATRIX="{\"include\":["
 curr=""
-for i in "${!TESTS[@]}"; do
-if (( i > 0 && i % 2 == 0 )); then
-    curr+="|${TESTS[$i]}"
-else
+for i in "${!TEST_ARRAY[@]}"; do
+  if (( i > 0 && i % 2 == 0 )); then
+    curr+="|${TEST_ARRAY[$i]}"
+  else
     if [ -n "$curr" ] && (( i>1 )); then
-    MATRIX+=",{\"test\":\"$curr\"}"
+      MATRIX+=",{\"test\":\"$curr\"}"
     elif [ -n "$curr" ]; then
-    MATRIX+="{\"test\":\"$curr\"}"
+      MATRIX+="{\"test\":\"$curr\"}"
     fi
-    curr="${TESTS[$i]}"
-fi
+    curr="${TEST_ARRAY[$i]}"
+  fi
 done
 MATRIX+=",{\"test\":\"$curr\"}]}"
 echo "loadtest_matrix=$MATRIX" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"