diff --git a/.github/workflows/zephyr-stars.yml b/.github/workflows/zephyr-stars.yml
index c400519..176b951 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/zephyr-stars.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/zephyr-stars.yml
@@ -33,10 +33,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: Zephyr Stars
         run: |
           wget -O stars.content https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZephyrTransport/zephyr-stars/master/STARS.md
+          if [[ X$(git status -uno --short) -eq X ]]; then exit 0; fi
+          # --- got new stars
           cat stars.template stars.content > stars.md
+          DATE=$(date +"%b %d, %Y")
+          echo "<br/><br/><i>Last updated $DATE </i>" >> stars.md
           echo stars.md
+          # --- push to github
           git config user.name "Zephyr Bot"
           git config user.email "info@zephyrtransport.org"
-          DATE=$(date +"%b %d, %Y")
-          if [[ $(git status -uno --short) ]]; then echo "<br/><br/><i>Last updated $DATE </i>" >> stars.md && git add stars.md && git commit -m "update stars" && git push; fi
+          git add stars.md && git commit -m "update stars" && git push