diff --git a/.github/workflows/sparse-zephyr.yml b/.github/workflows/sparse-zephyr.yml
index bf8e7fe76aea..83012c4fb341 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sparse-zephyr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sparse-zephyr.yml
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ jobs:
       # We have to painfully extract REAL_CC from the docker image to
       # tell the Zephyr build what it... already knows and wants!! Zephyr
       # commit 3ebb18b8826 explains this sparse problem.
+      #
+      # --pristine is important to reproduce _warnings_. It makes no
+      # difference for github but it's useful for anyone trying to
+      # reproduce and copying the command from the logs.
       - name: analyze zephyr
         working-directory: ./workspace
         run: |
@@ -72,6 +76,6 @@ jobs:
           ZSDK=$(cat zsdk_location); _RCC=${{ matrix.platforms.real_cc }}
           REAL_CC="$ZSDK/$_RCC" ./sof/zephyr/docker-run.sh                          \
              ./sof/zephyr/docker-build.sh ${{ matrix.platforms.platform }}          \
-             --cmake-args=-DSPARSE=y 2>&1 | tee _.log
+             --cmake-args=-DSPARSE=y --pristine 2>&1 | tee _.log
              printf '\n\n\t\t\t  ---- Messages below are treated as sparse errors --- \n\n\n'
-             (set -x; ./sof/scripts/parse_sparse_output.sh < _.log)
+             (set -x; ./sof/scripts/parse_sparse_output.sh ${{ matrix.platforms.platform }} <_.log)
diff --git a/scripts/parse_sparse_output.sh b/scripts/parse_sparse_output.sh
index 859940658295..3b8876e9a060 100755
--- a/scripts/parse_sparse_output.sh
+++ b/scripts/parse_sparse_output.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 
 # "sparse" is not designed for automated testing: its exit code is
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 
 main()
 {
+    local platform="$1" # optional
+    local sparse_errors=()
+
     >&2 printf 'Reminder: to see ALL warnings you must as usual build _from scratch_\n'
 
     # To reproduce an 'error: ' and test this script try commenting out
@@ -22,9 +25,11 @@ main()
     # script try deleting a __sparse_cache annotation like the one in
     # src/audio/mixer/mixer.c
 
-    ! grep -v 'alsatplg.*topology2.*skip' | grep -i  \
-        -e '[[:space:]]error:[[:space:]]'  \
-        -e '[[:space:]]warning:[[:space:]].*different address space' \
+    sparse_errors+=(-e '[[:space:]]error:[[:space:]]')
+
+    sparse_errors+=(-e '[[:space:]]warning:[[:space:]].*different address space')
+
+    ! grep -v 'alsatplg.*topology2.*skip' | grep -i  "${sparse_errors[@]}"
 
 }