diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index ddb31847f10e4..80b96b752ae1b 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -391,6 +391,8 @@ check-polkadot-companion-build:
       artifacts:                   false
   script:
     - ./.maintain/gitlab/check_polkadot_companion_build.sh
+  after_script:
+    - cd polkadot && git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
   allow_failure:                   true
 
 test-browser-node:
diff --git a/.maintain/gitlab/check_polkadot_companion_build.sh b/.maintain/gitlab/check_polkadot_companion_build.sh
index 7a1943e0bd4b0..b78c26dea8458 100755
--- a/.maintain/gitlab/check_polkadot_companion_build.sh
+++ b/.maintain/gitlab/check_polkadot_companion_build.sh
@@ -31,10 +31,7 @@ polkadot companion: paritytech/polkadot#567
 
 
 it will then run cargo check from this polkadot's branch with substrate code
-from this pull request. in absence of that string it will check if a polkadot
-pr is mentioned and will use the last one instead. if none of the above can be
-found it will check if polkadot has a branch of the exact same name than the
-substrate's branch. if it can't find anything, it will uses master instead
+from this pull request. otherwise, it will uses master instead
 
 
 EOT
@@ -74,14 +71,6 @@ then
       -e 's;^.*polkadot companion: https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot/pull/([0-9]+).*$;\1;p' \
     | tail -n 1)"
 
-  if [ -z "${pr_companion}" ]
-  then
-    pr_companion="$(echo "${pr_body}" | sed -n -r \
-      -e 's;^.*paritytech/polkadot/#([0-9]+).*$;\1;p' \
-      -e 's;^.*https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot/pull/([0-9]+).*$;\1;p' \
-      | tail -n 1)"
-  fi
-
   if [ "${pr_companion}" ]
   then
     boldprint "companion pr specified/detected: #${pr_companion}"
diff --git a/.maintain/gitlab/check_polkadot_companion_status.sh b/.maintain/gitlab/check_polkadot_companion_status.sh
index 3a03d79081fea..d5e84e02ba85d 100755
--- a/.maintain/gitlab/check_polkadot_companion_status.sh
+++ b/.maintain/gitlab/check_polkadot_companion_status.sh
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ this job checks if there is a string in the description of the pr like
 
 polkadot companion: paritytech/polkadot#567
 
-or any other polkadot pr is mentioned in this pr's description and checks its
-status.
+and checks its status.
 
 
 EOT
@@ -48,14 +47,6 @@ pr_companion="$(echo "${pr_body}" | sed -n -r \
     -e 's;^.*polkadot companion: https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot/pull/([0-9]+).*$;\1;p' \
   | tail -n 1)"
 
-# get companion mentioned in the description
-if [ -z "${pr_companion}" ]
-then
-  pr_companion="$(echo "${pr_body}" | sed -n -r \
-    's;^.*https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot/pull/([0-9]+).*$;\1;p' \
-    | tail -n 1)"
-fi
-
 if [ -z "${pr_companion}" ]
 then
   boldprint "no companion pr found"