diff --git a/ci-operator/step-registry/openshift/microshift/includes/openshift-microshift-includes-commands.sh b/ci-operator/step-registry/openshift/microshift/includes/openshift-microshift-includes-commands.sh
index 3ad843c8ae436..3f0c259e56f71 100644
--- a/ci-operator/step-registry/openshift/microshift/includes/openshift-microshift-includes-commands.sh
+++ b/ci-operator/step-registry/openshift/microshift/includes/openshift-microshift-includes-commands.sh
@@ -203,11 +203,6 @@ function ci_get_clonerefs() {
 function ci_clone_src() {
     local force_clone="${1:-false}"
 
-    # Clusterbot variables override force_clone - they require explicit branch selection
-    if [ -n "${MICROSHIFT_PR:-}" ] || [ -n "${MICROSHIFT_GIT:-}" ] || [ -n "${MICROSHIFT_NIGHTLY:-}" ]; then
-        force_clone="true"
-    fi
-
     fails=0
     for _ in $(seq 3) ; do
         if ci_get_clonerefs; then
diff --git a/ci-operator/step-registry/openshift/microshift/infra/aws/ec2/openshift-microshift-infra-aws-ec2-commands.sh b/ci-operator/step-registry/openshift/microshift/infra/aws/ec2/openshift-microshift-infra-aws-ec2-commands.sh
index 540ac33f37597..be027fa0842bb 100755
--- a/ci-operator/step-registry/openshift/microshift/infra/aws/ec2/openshift-microshift-infra-aws-ec2-commands.sh
+++ b/ci-operator/step-registry/openshift/microshift/infra/aws/ec2/openshift-microshift-infra-aws-ec2-commands.sh
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ if [ -f "${MICROSHIFT_CLUSTERBOT_SETTINGS}" ]; then
   : Overriding step defaults by sourcing clusterbot settings
   # shellcheck disable=SC1090
   source "${MICROSHIFT_CLUSTERBOT_SETTINGS}"
+  # Always assemble CLONEREFS for cloning when using clusterbot.
+  # The only sitation it would have JOB_SPEC with clonerefs is for rehearsal which is not the main usecase.
+  # When running via cluster bot, it's always empty and the decision "what to clone" is made based on the sourced
+  # `microshift-clusterbot-settings` file (envs like MICROSHIFT_PR, MICROSHIFT_GIT, MICROSHIFT_NIGHTLY, *AND* OCP_VERSION).
+  SRC_FROM_GIT=true
 fi
 
 # All graviton instances have a lower case g in the family part. Using