diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 423a9055738c0e1a9b1d975bf17a68afa61d6a75..db08a355cc5da7c54552ee580fc093837149c4d7 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,11 @@ stages:
 common:setup:
   stage: config
   before_script:
-    - git clone https://eicweb.phy.anl.gov/EIC/benchmarks/common_bench.git setup 
+    - |
+      if [[ -z "${COMMON_BENCH_VERSION}" ]] ; then
+        export COMMON_BENCH_VERSION="master" 
+      fi
+      git clone -b "${COMMON_BENCH_VERSION}" https://eicweb.phy.anl.gov/EIC/benchmarks/common_bench.git setup 
   script:
     - |
       if [[ "x${CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE}" == "xmerge_request_event"  || "$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH" == "master" ]]; then