diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest-template.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest-template.yml
index 73ecfabb8d..4a922d9c33 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest-template.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest-template.yml
@@ -11,12 +11,10 @@
       fi
     - mkdir build
     - cd build
-    - if test -n "$TARGETS";
-      then
-        ../configure --enable-werror --disable-docs ${LD_JOBS:+--meson=git} $CONFIGURE_ARGS --target-list="$TARGETS" ;
-      else
-        ../configure --enable-werror --disable-docs ${LD_JOBS:+--meson=git} $CONFIGURE_ARGS ;
-      fi || { cat config.log meson-logs/meson-log.txt && exit 1; }
+    - ../configure --enable-werror --disable-docs
+          ${LD_JOBS:+--meson=git} ${TARGETS:+--target-list="$TARGETS"}
+          $CONFIGURE_ARGS ||
+      { cat config.log meson-logs/meson-log.txt && exit 1; }
     - if test -n "$LD_JOBS";
       then
         ../meson/meson.py configure . -Dbackend_max_links="$LD_JOBS" ;