diff --git a/tasks/libs/ciproviders/gitlab_api.py b/tasks/libs/ciproviders/gitlab_api.py
index 060bad5fe5ded..136d6a5a77fc8 100644
--- a/tasks/libs/ciproviders/gitlab_api.py
+++ b/tasks/libs/ciproviders/gitlab_api.py
@@ -195,11 +195,20 @@ def apply_yaml_extends(config: dict, node):
                 if key not in node:
                     node[key] = value
                 elif key in node and isinstance(node[key], dict) and isinstance(value, dict):
-                    node[key].update(value)
+                    update_without_overwrite(node[key], value)
 
         del node['extends']
 
 
+def update_without_overwrite(d, u):
+    """
+    Update a dictionary without overwriting existing keys
+    """
+    for k, v in u.items():
+        if k not in d:
+            d[k] = v
+
+
 def apply_yaml_reference(config: dict, node):
     """
     Applies `!reference` gitlab yaml tags to the node and its children inplace
diff --git a/tasks/testwasher.py b/tasks/testwasher.py
index 5f3c7c377c591..8ea02bb639099 100644
--- a/tasks/testwasher.py
+++ b/tasks/testwasher.py
@@ -202,9 +202,15 @@ def generate_flake_finder_pipeline(_, n=3):
             new_job["stage"] = f"flake-finder-{i}"
             new_job["dependencies"] = []
             if 'variables' in new_job:
-                if 'E2E_PIPELINE_ID' in new_job['variables']:
+                if (
+                    'E2E_PIPELINE_ID' in new_job['variables']
+                    and new_job['variables']['E2E_PIPELINE_ID'] == "$CI_PIPELINE_ID"
+                ):
                     new_job['variables']['E2E_PIPELINE_ID'] = "$PARENT_PIPELINE_ID"
-                if 'E2E_COMMIT_SHA' in new_job['variables']:
+                if (
+                    'E2E_COMMIT_SHA' in new_job['variables']
+                    and new_job['variables']['E2E_COMMIT_SHA'] == "$CI_COMMIT_SHA"
+                ):
                     new_job['variables']['E2E_COMMIT_SHA'] = "$PARENT_COMMIT_SHA"
             new_job["rules"] = [{"when": "always"}]
             new_jobs[f"{job}-{i}"] = new_job