diff --git a/.github/workflows/files-changed.yml b/.github/workflows/files-changed.yml
index 80f968d977..0447d4b883 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/files-changed.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/files-changed.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ jobs:
         id: changes
         with:
           # needed for `act_runner exec`
-          ref: ${{ env.ACT_EXEC == 'true' && 'HEAD' || env.GITHUB_REF }}
+          base: ${{ env.ACT_EXEC == 'true' && 'HEAD' || '' }}
           filters: |
             backend:
               - "**/*.go"
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 167f56c6b9..90debf0c09 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -456,7 +456,10 @@ test-frontend: node_modules
 test-check:
 	@echo "Running test-check...";
 	@diff=$$(git status -s); \
-	if [ -n "$$diff" ]; then \
+	if [ "$(ACT_EXEC)" = "true" ]; then \
+		echo "skip 'test-check' when using 'act_runner exec', please check it manually!"; \
+		exit 0; \
+	elif [ -n "$$diff" ]; then \
 		echo "make test-backend has changed files in the source tree:"; \
 		echo "$${diff}"; \
 		echo "You should change the tests to create these files in a temporary directory."; \