diff --git a/pipelines/build.sh b/pipelines/build.sh
index 2a01d846576df94b4977d5a00a00e9feffb22dbf..6bf31663d8738ccf775534038a6555822502c164 100644
--- a/pipelines/build.sh
+++ b/pipelines/build.sh
@@ -67,14 +67,14 @@ echo "===================== importability ====================="
 if [ "$JOB_NAME" != "csst_common" ]; then
   echo " > try 'from $JOB_NAME.top_level_interface import *'"
   python -c "from $JOB_NAME.top_level_interface import *"
-  import_status=$?
+  status_import=$?
   if [ "$status_import" != 0 ]; then
     echo "Import failed!"
   else
     echo "Import done!"
   fi
 else
-  import_status=0
+  status_import=0
 fi
 
 # the exit value is determined from unit tests