diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 05f66eb4992dd745d16c3530cdfb7149a93c866d..35143337a703dccbd58d9e77626f3c16f9bbe242 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -47,10 +47,6 @@ stages:
   # update apt
   - apt-get update
 
-  # create 'ci_deps' folder (if not exists)
-  - cd $CI_PROJECT_DIR
-  - mkdir -pv ci_deps
-
 .license_header_template: &license_header_definition
   - cd $CI_PROJECT_DIR
 
@@ -88,7 +84,9 @@ stages:
   - fi
 
 .install_yamlschemacpp_template: &install_yamlschemacpp_definition
-  - cd ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/ci_deps
+  - cd $CI_PROJECT_DIR
+  - mkdir -pv ci_deps
+  - cd ci_deps
   - if [ -d yaml-schema-cpp ]; then
   -   echo "directory yaml-schema-cpp exists"
   -   cd yaml-schema-cpp