diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yaml b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
index 6900ba9c..9c17800a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ jobs:
   verify-and-lint:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     name: Verify codegen/vendor/licenses, do lint
+    env:
+      GOPATH: ${{ github.workspace }}
+
+      # since client-go codegen requires that code checkout GOPATH
+      CODE_DIR: '${{github.workspace}}/src/github.com/kubeedge/sedna'
+
     steps:
       - name: Install Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v2
@@ -21,7 +27,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-          path: ./src/github.com/${{ github.repository }}
+          path: ${{ env.CODE_DIR }}
 
       - uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
@@ -34,15 +40,15 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run verify test
         run: make verify
-        working-directory: ./src/github.com/${{ github.repository }}
+        working-directory: ${{ env.CODE_DIR }}
 
       - name: Run go lint test
         run: make lint
-        working-directory: ./src/github.com/${{ github.repository }}
+        working-directory: ${{ env.CODE_DIR }}
 
       - name: Run python code style test
         run: pycodestyle lib
-        working-directory: ./src/github.com/${{ github.repository }}
+        working-directory: ${{ env.CODE_DIR }}
 
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/hack/verify-codegen.sh b/hack/verify-codegen.sh
index 885db193..a564f458 100755
--- a/hack/verify-codegen.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-codegen.sh
@@ -20,16 +20,24 @@ set -o pipefail
 
 SEDNA_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd -P)"
 
-CLIENT_ROOT="${SEDNA_ROOT}/pkg/client"
+CLIENT_PATTERN="pkg/client/"
 ZZ_FILE="zz_generated.deepcopy.go"
+CODEGEN_PATTERN="${CLIENT_PATTERN}|${ZZ_FILE}"
 
 UPDATE_SCRIPT="hack/update-codegen.sh"
+
 "${SEDNA_ROOT}/$UPDATE_SCRIPT"
 
-if git status --short 2>/dev/null | grep -qE "${CLIENT_ROOT}|${ZZ_FILE}"; then
+if dirty_files=$(
+      git status --porcelain |
+      awk '$0=$2' |
+      grep -E "$CODEGEN_PATTERN" |
+      sed 's/^/  /'); then
   echo "FAILED: codegen verify failed." >&2
-  echo "Please run the command to update your codegen files: $UPDATE_SCRIPT" >&2
+  echo "Please run the command '$UPDATE_SCRIPT' to update your codegen files:" >&2
+  echo "$dirty_files" >&2
   exit 1
-else
+
+elif [ $? -eq 1 ]; then  # grep exit 1 when no matches
   echo "SUCCESS: codegen verified."
 fi