diff --git a/scripts/check_changelog_format.py b/scripts/check_changelog_format.py
index 3d7b76d1bab..153193cd006 100755
--- a/scripts/check_changelog_format.py
+++ b/scripts/check_changelog_format.py
@@ -57,46 +57,59 @@ def get_referenced_issues(pr_number):
 
     # The above returns {'data': {'repository': {'pullRequest': {'closingIssuesReferences': {'edges': [{'node': {'number': 4944}}]}}}}}
 
-    ref_edges = ref_result["data"]["repository"]["pullRequest"][
-        "closingIssuesReferences"
-    ]["edges"]
-
-    if not ref_edges:
-        return []
-
-    return [edge["node"]["number"] for edge in ref_edges if edge]
-
+    with open(file_name, "r", encoding="utf-8") as file:
+        for line in file:
+            line = line.strip()
+            if not is_valid_line(line):
+                print(f'Invalid entry in change log: "{line}"')
+                sys.exit(1)
 
-# Check if a line matches any of the specified patterns
-def is_valid_line(line):
-    patterns = [r"^Fixes:\s*.*$", r"^Implements:\s*.*$", r"^Thanks:\s*.*$"]
-    for pattern in patterns:
-        if re.match(pattern, line):
-            return True
-    return False
+            # Handle specific error related to QUOTED_LITERAL token
+            if "Unexpected QUOTED_LITERAL token" in line:
+                print("Error: Unexpected QUOTED_LITERAL token in change log")
+                sys.exit(1)
 
+            # The referenced issue number should be valid.
+            for issue_number in re.findall("#([0-9]+)", line):
+                issue_number = int(issue_number)
+                try:
+                    issue = repo.get_issue(number=issue_number)
+                except github.UnknownObjectException:
+                    print(
+                        f"The changelog entry references an invalid issue #{issue_number}:\n{line}"
+                    )
+                    sys.exit(1)
 
-def main():
-    github_token = os.environ.get("GITHUB_TOKEN")
+                as_pr = None
+                try:
+                    as_pr = issue.as_pull_request()
+                except github.UnknownObjectException:
+                    # Not a pull request
+                    pass
 
-    if not github_token:
-        print("Please populate the GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable.")
-        sys.exit(1)
+                # Accept references to PR itself.
+                if as_pr:
+                    if issue_number != this_pr_number:
+                        print(
+                            f"The changelog for PR #{this_pr_number} references another PR #{issue_number}"
+                        )
+                        sys.exit(1)
+                    changelog_issues = pr_issues
+                else:
+                    changelog_issues.add(issue_number)
 
-    github_obj = github.Github(github_token)
-    repo = github_obj.get_repo("timescale/timescaledb")
-    # Get the file name from the command line argument
-    if len(sys.argv) != 2:
-        print("Please provide a file name as a command-line argument.")
+    if changelog_issues != pr_issues:
+        print(
+            "Instead of "
+            + (f"the issues {pr_issues}" if pr_issues else "no issues")
+            + f" linked to the PR #{this_pr_number}, the changelog references "
+            + (f"the issues {changelog_issues}" if changelog_issues else "no issues")
+        )
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    file_name = sys.argv[1]
-    this_pr_number = int(os.environ["PR_NUMBER"])
-    pr_issues = set(get_referenced_issues(this_pr_number))
 
-    # Read the file and check non-empty lines
-    changelog_issues = set()
-    with open(file_name, "r", encoding="utf-8") as file:
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
         for line in file:
             line = line.strip()
             if not is_valid_line(line):
diff --git a/scripts/cmake_format_all.sh b/scripts/cmake_format_all.sh
index 7bfd828f706..50d060ac266 100755
--- a/scripts/cmake_format_all.sh
+++ b/scripts/cmake_format_all.sh
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@
 SCRIPTDIR=$(cd "$(dirname $0)" || exit; pwd)
 BASEDIR=$(dirname $SCRIPTDIR)
 
-find $BASEDIR -name CMakeLists.txt  -exec cmake-format -i {} +
+find $BASEDIR -name CMakeLists.txt  -exec cmake-format -i {} + || { echo 'Error: Failed to run cmake-format command'; exit 1; }
 find $BASEDIR/src $BASEDIR/test $BASEDIR/tsl -name '*.cmake' -exec cmake-format -i {} +