diff --git a/.github/workflows/compare-layouts.yml b/.github/workflows/compare-layouts.yml
index 3f2f5d02..b23dd223 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/compare-layouts.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/compare-layouts.yml
@@ -23,20 +23,17 @@ jobs:
         # trigger is no matter what, because the status should be updated
         if: always()
         env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         # this step would have been better located in forge-ci.yml, but since it needs the secret
         # it is placed here. first, it is updated to pending here and failure/success is updated later.
         run: |
-          curl -X POST \
-            -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
-            -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-            -d '{
-              "state": "pending",
-              "context": "Compare Storage Layouts",
-              "description": "In progress...",
-              "target_url": "https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}"
-            }' \
-            https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/statuses/${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_commit.id }}
+          gh api \
+            --method POST \
+            /repos/${{ github.repository }}/statuses/${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_commit.id }} \
+            -f state=pending \
+            -f context='${{ github.workflow.name }}' \
+            -f description='In progress...' \
+            -f target_url="https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}"
       - name: Get PR number
         id: pr-context
         if: ${{ github.event.workflow_run.event == 'pull_request' }}
@@ -94,7 +91,6 @@ jobs:
     env:
       ALCHEMY_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ALCHEMY_API_KEY }}
       ETHERSCAN_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ETHERSCAN_API_KEY }}
-      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
     steps:
       # Log the workflow trigger details for debugging.
@@ -143,11 +139,12 @@ jobs:
             ["ExoCapsule"]="$capsule"
           )
           # Iterate over the array and run `cast storage` for each contract
+          RPC_URL="https://eth-sepolia.g.alchemy.com/v2/$ALCHEMY_API_KEY"
           for contract in "${!contracts[@]}"; do
             address=${contracts[$contract]}
             if [[ -n $address ]]; then
               echo "Processing $contract at address $address"
-              cast storage --json "$address" --rpc-url "https://eth-sepolia.g.alchemy.com/v2/$ALCHEMY_API_KEY" \
+              cast storage --json "$address" --rpc-url "$RPC_URL" \
               --etherscan-api-key "$ETHERSCAN_API_KEY" > "$contract.deployed.json"
               mv "$contract.deployed.json" "$pwd"
             else
@@ -185,30 +182,27 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: true
       - name: Update parent commit status
         if: always()
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         # if the outcome is not set, it will post failure
         run: |
-          outcome=$(
-            [[ "${{ steps.compare-layouts.outcome }}" == "success" ]] &&
-            echo "success" ||
-            echo "failure"
-          )
-          description=$(
-            [[ "${{ steps.compare-layouts.outcome }}" == "success" ]] &&
-            echo "Storage layouts match" ||
-            ([[ "${{ steps.compare-layouts.outcome }}" == "failure" ]] &&
-            echo "Storage layouts do not match" ||
-            echo "Job skipped since ${{ github.event.workflow_run.name }} failed.")
-          )
-          curl -X POST \
-            -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
-            -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-            -d "{
-              \"state\": \"${outcome}\",
-              \"context\": \"Compare Storage Layouts\",
-              \"description\": \"${description}\",
-              \"target_url\": \"https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}\"
-            }" \
-            https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/statuses/${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_commit.id }}
+          if [[ "${{ steps.compare-layouts.outcome }}" == "success" ]]; then
+            outcome="success"
+            description="Storage layouts match"
+          elif [[ "${{ steps.compare-layouts.outcome }}" == "failure" ]]; then
+            outcome="failure"
+            description="Storage layouts do not match"
+          else
+            outcome="failure"
+            description="Job skipped since ${{ github.event.workflow_run.name }} failed."
+          fi
+          gh api \
+            --method POST \
+            /repos/${{ github.repository }}/statuses/${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_commit.id }} \
+            -f state="$outcome" \
+            -f context='${{ github.workflow.name }}' \
+            -f description="$description" \
+            -f target_url="https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}"
       - name: Set message again
         id: set-message-again
         env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/forge-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/forge-ci.yml
index cd5c4930..26486116 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/forge-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/forge-ci.yml
@@ -148,13 +148,6 @@ jobs:
             ./cache
             ./broadcast
           key: build-${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.event.after || github.sha }}
-      # This step restores the base branch layout file, while the next step generates the PR
-      # branch layout files.
-      - name: Restore base branch layout file
-        uses: actions/cache/restore@v3
-        with:
-          path: ExocoreGateway.base.json
-          key: ExocoreGateway-base-layout-${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.event.after || github.sha }}
       - name: Generate storage layout files for the PR
         run: |
           for file in Bootstrap ClientChainGateway RewardVault Vault ExocoreGateway ExoCapsule; do
@@ -163,7 +156,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Copy back base branch layout file
         run: cp /tmp/ExocoreGateway.base.json ./ExocoreGateway.base.json
       - name: Zip storage layout files
-        run: zip "storage-layouts.zip" "./*.compiled.json" "./ExocoreGateway.base.json"
+        run: zip storage-layouts.zip ./*.compiled.json ./ExocoreGateway.base.json
       - name: Upload storage layout files as an artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with: