diff --git a/.github/actions/lib/get-env-inputs.js b/.github/actions/lib/get-env-inputs.js
index 42aa5119fb..df1558d8fc 100644
--- a/.github/actions/lib/get-env-inputs.js
+++ b/.github/actions/lib/get-env-inputs.js
@@ -16,3 +16,22 @@ export function getEnvInputs(options) {
     })
   )
 }
+
+/*
+ * Given an environment variable key, return `true` or `false` if the
+ * value is recognizable.
+ * Turn 'true' or '1' into `true`. And '', '0', or 'false' into `false`.
+ * All other values are invalid.
+ * Now you can't accidentally set `export FOO=falsee` which as string `'falsee'`
+ * could have been interpreted as a truthy value.
+ *
+ * @param {string} key - name of the environment variable
+ *
+ * @returns {boolean}
+ */
+export function boolEnvVar(key) {
+  const value = process.env[key] || ''
+  if (value === '' || value === 'false' || value === '0') return false
+  if (value === 'true' || value === '1') return true
+  throw new Error(`Invalid value for set environment variable ${key}: '${value}'`)
+}
diff --git a/.github/actions/rendered-content-link-checker.js b/.github/actions/rendered-content-link-checker.js
index f60324e8b5..8bf8cbddd8 100755
--- a/.github/actions/rendered-content-link-checker.js
+++ b/.github/actions/rendered-content-link-checker.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import warmServer from '../../lib/warm-server.js'
 import renderContent from '../../lib/render-content/index.js'
 import { deprecated } from '../../lib/enterprise-server-releases.js'
 import excludedLinks from '../../lib/excluded-links.js'
-import { getEnvInputs } from './lib/get-env-inputs.js'
+import { getEnvInputs, boolEnvVar } from './lib/get-env-inputs.js'
 import { debugTimeEnd, debugTimeStart } from './lib/debug-time-taken.js'
 import { uploadArtifact as uploadArtifactLib } from './lib/upload-artifact.js'
 import github from '../../script/helpers/github.js'
@@ -52,19 +52,8 @@ const deprecatedVersionPrefixesRegex = new RegExp(
 // When this file is invoked directly from action as opposed to being imported
 if (import.meta.url.endsWith(process.argv[1])) {
   // Optional env vars
-  const {
-    ACTION_RUN_URL,
-    CREATE_REPORT,
-    CHECK_EXTERNAL_LINKS,
-    LEVEL,
-    SHOULD_COMMENT,
-    COMMENT_LIMIT_TO_EXTERNAL_LINKS,
-    FAIL_ON_FLAW,
-    FILES_CHANGED,
-    REPORT_REPOSITORY,
-    REPORT_AUTHOR,
-    REPORT_LABEL,
-  } = process.env
+  const { ACTION_RUN_URL, LEVEL, FILES_CHANGED, REPORT_REPOSITORY, REPORT_AUTHOR, REPORT_LABEL } =
+    process.env
 
   const octokit = github()
 
@@ -86,15 +75,15 @@ if (import.meta.url.endsWith(process.argv[1])) {
     verbose: true,
     linkReports: true,
     checkImages: true,
-    patient: true,
+    patient: boolEnvVar('PATIENT'),
     random: false,
     language: 'en',
     actionUrl: ACTION_RUN_URL,
-    checkExternalLinks: CHECK_EXTERNAL_LINKS === 'true',
-    shouldComment: Boolean(JSON.parse(SHOULD_COMMENT)),
-    commentLimitToExternalLinks: COMMENT_LIMIT_TO_EXTERNAL_LINKS === 'true',
-    failOnFlaw: FAIL_ON_FLAW === 'true',
-    createReport: CREATE_REPORT === 'true',
+    checkExternalLinks: boolEnvVar('CHECK_EXTERNAL_LINKS'),
+    shouldComment: boolEnvVar('SHOULD_COMMENT'),
+    commentLimitToExternalLinks: boolEnvVar('COMMENT_LIMIT_TO_EXTERNAL_LINKS'),
+    failOnFlaw: boolEnvVar('FAIL_ON_FLAW'),
+    createReport: boolEnvVar('CREATE_REPORT'),
     reportRepository: REPORT_REPOSITORY,
     reportLabel: REPORT_LABEL,
     reportAuthor: REPORT_AUTHOR,
@@ -839,7 +828,7 @@ async function innerFetch(core, url, config = {}) {
   // So there's no point in trying more attempts than 3 because it would
   // just timeout on the 10s. (i.e. 1000 + 2000 + 4000 + 8000 > 10,000)
   const retry = {
-    limit: patient ? 5 : 2,
+    limit: patient ? 6 : 2,
   }
   const timeout = { request: patient ? 10000 : 2000 }
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/link-check-daily.yml b/.github/workflows/link-check-daily.yml
index 846e0a5c78..6e522c96e8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/link-check-daily.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/link-check-daily.yml
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ jobs:
           REPORT_REPOSITORY: github/docs-content
           CREATE_REPORT: true
           CHECK_EXTERNAL_LINKS: true
+          PATIENT: true
         timeout-minutes: 30
         run: node .github/actions/rendered-content-link-checker.js