diff --git a/playbooks/files/project-requirements-change.py b/playbooks/files/project-requirements-change.py
index b9ab2e5ee5..6e45ab9849 100755
--- a/playbooks/files/project-requirements-change.py
+++ b/playbooks/files/project-requirements-change.py
@@ -170,7 +170,6 @@ def main():
         cwd = os.getcwd()
         # build a list of requirements in the proposed change,
         # and check them for style violations while doing so
-        head = run_command("git rev-parse HEAD")[0]
         head_proj = project.read(cwd)
         head_reqs = RequirementsList('HEAD', head_proj)
         # Don't apply strict parsing rules to stable branches.
@@ -187,11 +186,11 @@ def main():
         if not args.local:
             # build a list of requirements already in the target branch,
             # so that we can create a diff and identify what's being changed
-            run_command("git checkout %s" % branch)
+            run_command("git checkout HEAD^1")
             branch_proj = project.read(cwd)
 
             # switch back to the proposed change now
-            run_command("git checkout %s" % head)
+            run_command("git checkout %s" % branch)
         else:
             branch_proj = {'root': cwd}
         branch_reqs = RequirementsList(branch, branch_proj)
diff --git a/playbooks/requirements-check.yaml b/playbooks/requirements-check.yaml
index b08eebd27e..e4c139b255 100644
--- a/playbooks/requirements-check.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/requirements-check.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 - hosts: all
   tasks:
     - name: Run requirements check script
-      script: "files/project-requirements-change.py {{ zuul.project.src_dir }} {{ zuul.branch }}"
+      # Use command module here instead of script since Zuul gets output
+      # with command into job-output.txt file.
+      # Command expects the file to be at the remote system - the system
+      # running the tests. Ask zuul variables for the path.
+      command: "{{ zuul._projects['git.openstack.org/openstack/requirements'].src_dir }}/playbooks/files/project-requirements-change.py {{ zuul.project.src_dir }} {{ zuul.branch }}"