diff --git a/.github/scripts/Linux/download_build_ffmpeg.sh b/.github/scripts/Linux/download_build_ffmpeg.sh
index f264db6ed..759691b07 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/Linux/download_build_ffmpeg.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/Linux/download_build_ffmpeg.sh
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ install_libvpx() {
         )
 }
 
+FFMPEG_GIT_DEPTH=5000 # greater depth is useful for 3-way merges
 install_svt() {
         ( git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OpenVisualCloud/SVT-HEVC && cd SVT-HEVC/Build/linux && ./build.sh release && cd Release && make -j $(nproc) && sudo make install || exit 1 )
         ( git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OpenVisualCloud/SVT-AV1 && cd SVT-AV1 && cd Build && cmake .. -G"Unix Makefiles" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release && make -j $(nproc) && sudo make install || exit 1 )
         ( git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OpenVisualCloud/SVT-VP9.git && cd SVT-VP9/Build && cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release && make -j $(nproc) && sudo make install || exit 1 )
+        # if patch apply fails, try increasing $FFMPEG_GIT_DEPTH
         git apply -3 SVT-HEVC/ffmpeg_plugin/master-*.patch
         git apply -3 SVT-VP9/ffmpeg_plugin/master-*.patch
 }
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ install_nv_codec_headers() {
 }
 
 rm -rf /var/tmp/ffmpeg
-git clone --depth 1000 https://git.ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.git /var/tmp/ffmpeg # depth 1000 useful for 3-way merges
+git clone --depth $FFMPEG_GIT_DEPTH https://git.ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.git /var/tmp/ffmpeg
 cd /var/tmp/ffmpeg
 ( git clone --depth 1 http://git.videolan.org/git/x264.git && cd x264 && ./configure --disable-static --enable-shared && make -j $(nproc) && sudo make install || exit 1 )
 ( git clone --depth 1 https://aomedia.googlesource.com/aom && mkdir -p aom/build && cd aom/build && cmake -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=1 .. &&  cmake --build . --parallel && sudo cmake --install . || exit 1 )