diff --git a/lib/config-utils.js b/lib/config-utils.js
index 8ab666dcf..a6f940483 100644
--- a/lib/config-utils.js
+++ b/lib/config-utils.js
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ function getLocalConfig(configFile, workspacePath) {
 }
 function getRemoteConfig(configFile) {
     // validate the config location
-    const format = new RegExp('(?<owner>[^/]+)/(?<repo>[^/]+)/(?<filepath>[^@]+)@(<?ref>.*)');
+    const format = new RegExp('(?<owner>[^/]+)/(?<repo>[^/]+)/(?<filepath>[^@]+)@(?<ref>.*)');
     const pieces = format.exec(configFile);
     if (pieces === null || pieces.length < 4) {
         throw new Error(getConfigFileRepoFormatInvalid(configFile));
diff --git a/src/config-utils.ts b/src/config-utils.ts
index cc0d0c6f9..c1e537470 100644
--- a/src/config-utils.ts
+++ b/src/config-utils.ts
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ function getLocalConfig(configFile: string, workspacePath: string): any {
 
 function getRemoteConfig(configFile: string): any {
   // validate the config location
-  const format = new RegExp('(?<owner>[^/]+)/(?<repo>[^/]+)/(?<filepath>[^@]+)@(<?ref>.*)');
+  const format = new RegExp('(?<owner>[^/]+)/(?<repo>[^/]+)/(?<filepath>[^@]+)@(?<ref>.*)');
   const pieces = format.exec(configFile);
   if (pieces === null || pieces.length < 4) {
     throw new Error(getConfigFileRepoFormatInvalid(configFile));