diff --git a/.github/workflows/code-freeze.yml b/.github/workflows/code-freeze.yml
index 5aff0abc..a6cc73a7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/code-freeze.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/code-freeze.yml
@@ -28,12 +28,20 @@ jobs:
           https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/pulls/${{ github.event.pull_request.number }})
         BRANCH_NAME=$(echo $PR_DATA | jq .head.ref -r)
         PR_TITLE=$(echo $PR_DATA | jq .title -r)
-
         echo $BRANCH_NAME
         echo $PR_TITLE
-
-        if [[ "$BRANCH_NAME" != $UNFROZEN_PREFIX* ]] && 
-           [[ "$PR_TITLE" != fix:* && "$PR_TITLE" != *"[critical]"* ]]; then
-          echo "Error: You can only merge from branches that start with '$UNFROZEN_PREFIX', or PRs titled with 'fix: ' and containing '[critical]'."
-          exit 1
+        # if it's not a critical fix
+        if ! [[ "$PR_TITLE" == fix\(critical\):* ]]; then
+          # and there's an unfrozen prefix
+          if ! [[ -z $UNFROZEN_PREFIX ]]; then
+            # check if the branch matches unfrozen prefix
+            if [[ "$BRANCH_NAME" != $UNFROZEN_PREFIX* ]]; then
+              echo "Error: You can only merge from branches that start with '$UNFROZEN_PREFIX', or PRs titled with prefix 'fix(critical): '."
+              exit 1
+            fi
+          # repo is fully frozen
+          else
+            echo "Error: You can only merge PRs titled with prefix 'fix(critical): '."
+            exit 1
+          fi
         fi