diff --git a/.github/actions/download-cache-and-artifacts/action.yml b/.github/actions/download-cache-and-artifacts/action.yml
index d437e95683..3532902c78 100644
--- a/.github/actions/download-cache-and-artifacts/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/download-cache-and-artifacts/action.yml
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ inputs:
     description: 'packages to cache'
     required: false
     type: string
+    default: 'dist nxcache'
   persistent-packages:
     description: 'cache key'
     required: false
     type: string
+    default: 'nxcache'
   cache-key-suffix:
     description: 'cache key suffix'
     required: false
@@ -23,7 +25,8 @@ runs:
       env:
         REMOTE_PATH: "adf/build-cache/${{ github.run_id }}"
       run: |
-        for i in ( '${{ inputs.packages }}' ); do
+        packages=( $(echo ${{ inputs.packages }}) )
+        for i in "${packages[@]}"; do
           echo "downloading current run cache artifacts from ${REMOTE_PATH}/$i.tar.gz"
           time aws s3 cp --no-progress s3://${S3_BUILD_BUCKET_SHORT_NAME}/${REMOTE_PATH}/$i.tar.gz $i.tar.gz
           du -h $i.tar.gz
@@ -37,7 +40,8 @@ runs:
         if [ -n "${{ inputs.cache-key-suffix }}" ]; then
           REMOTE_PATH="${REMOTE_PATH}-${{ inputs.cache-key-suffix }}"
         fi
-        for i in ( '${{ inputs.persistent-packages }}' ); do
+        packages=( $(echo ${{ inputs.persistent-packages }}) )
+        for i in "${packages[@]}"; do
           REMOTE_FILE_PATH="s3://${S3_BUILD_BUCKET_SHORT_NAME}/${REMOTE_PATH}/$i.tar.gz"
           cache_exists=$(aws s3 ls $REMOTE_FILE_PATH > /dev/null)
           if [ $cache_exists  -eq 0 ]; then
diff --git a/.github/actions/upload-cache-and-artifacts/action.yml b/.github/actions/upload-cache-and-artifacts/action.yml
index a21ffd3f1a..71be8dc52b 100644
--- a/.github/actions/upload-cache-and-artifacts/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/upload-cache-and-artifacts/action.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ runs:
       env:
        REMOTE_PATH: "adf/build-cache/${{ github.run_id }}"
       run: |
-        for i in ( '${{ inputs.packages }}' ); do
+        packages=( $(echo ${{ inputs.packages }}) )
+        for i in "${packages[@]}"; do
           echo "processing $i"
           time tar czf $i.tar.gz $i
           echo "package size: $(du -h $i.tar.gz)"
@@ -37,7 +38,8 @@ runs:
         if [ -n "${{ inputs.cache-key-suffix }}" ]; then
           REMOTE_PATH="${REMOTE_PATH}-${{ inputs.cache-key-suffix }}"
         fi
-        for i in ( '${{ inputs.persistent-packages }}' ); do
+        packages=( $(echo ${{ inputs.persistent-packages }}) )
+        for i in "${packages[@]}"; do
           time tar czf $i.tar.gz $i
           du -h $i.tar.gz
           echo "pushing persistent cache to $REMOTE_PATH"