diff --git a/.github/workflows/code-scanning-pack-gen.yml b/.github/workflows/code-scanning-pack-gen.yml
index c88dae52c..1b620260c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/code-scanning-pack-gen.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/code-scanning-pack-gen.yml
@@ -68,15 +68,17 @@ jobs:
       - name: Determine ref for external help files
         id: determine-ref
         run: |
-          if [[ $GITHUB_EVENT_NAME == "pull_request" || $GITHUB_EVENT_NAME == "merge_group" ]]; then
-            echo "EXTERNAL_HELP_REF=$GITHUB_HEAD_REF" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          if [[ $GITHUB_EVENT_NAME == "pull_request" ]]; then
+            EXTERNAL_HELP_REF="${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref }}"
+          elif [[ $GITHUB_EVENT_NAME == "merge_group" ]]; then
+            EXTERNAL_HELP_REF="${{ github.event.merge_group.base_ref }}"
           else
-            echo "EXTERNAL_HELP_REF=$GITHUB_REF" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+            EXTERNAL_HELP_REF="$GITHUB_REF"
           fi
+          echo "EXTERNAL_HELP_REF=$EXTERNAL_HELP_REF" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           echo "Using ref $EXTERNAL_HELP_REF for external help files."
 
       - name: Checkout external help files
-        continue-on-error: true
         id: checkout-external-help-files
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
diff --git a/change_notes/2024-10-30-fix-issue-629.md b/change_notes/2024-10-30-fix-issue-629.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1e7421f6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/change_notes/2024-10-30-fix-issue-629.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- `A7-1-7` - `IdentifierDeclarationAndInitializationNotOnSeparateLines.ql`
+  - Fixes #629. Adds brackets, excluding expressions statements in macros.
diff --git a/cpp/autosar/src/rules/A7-1-7/IdentifierDeclarationAndInitializationNotOnSeparateLines.ql b/cpp/autosar/src/rules/A7-1-7/IdentifierDeclarationAndInitializationNotOnSeparateLines.ql
index 8c10a0f80..89aca8048 100644
--- a/cpp/autosar/src/rules/A7-1-7/IdentifierDeclarationAndInitializationNotOnSeparateLines.ql
+++ b/cpp/autosar/src/rules/A7-1-7/IdentifierDeclarationAndInitializationNotOnSeparateLines.ql
@@ -19,26 +19,28 @@ import codingstandards.cpp.autosar
 class UniqueLineStmt extends Locatable {
   UniqueLineStmt() {
     not isAffectedByMacro() and
-    exists(Declaration d |
-      this = d.getADeclarationEntry() and
-      not d instanceof Parameter and
-      not d instanceof TemplateParameter and
-      // TODO - Needs to be enhanced to solve issues with
-      // templated inner classes.
-      not d instanceof Function and
-      not d.isFromTemplateInstantiation(_) and
-      not d.(Variable).isCompilerGenerated() and
-      not exists(RangeBasedForStmt f | f.getADeclaration() = d) and
-      not exists(DeclStmt declStmt, ForStmt f |
-        f.getInitialization() = declStmt and
-        declStmt.getADeclaration() = d
-      ) and
-      not exists(LambdaCapture lc | lc.getField().getADeclarationEntry() = this)
+    (
+      exists(Declaration d |
+        this = d.getADeclarationEntry() and
+        not d instanceof Parameter and
+        not d instanceof TemplateParameter and
+        // TODO - Needs to be enhanced to solve issues with
+        // templated inner classes.
+        not d instanceof Function and
+        not d.isFromTemplateInstantiation(_) and
+        not d.(Variable).isCompilerGenerated() and
+        not exists(RangeBasedForStmt f | f.getADeclaration() = d) and
+        not exists(DeclStmt declStmt, ForStmt f |
+          f.getInitialization() = declStmt and
+          declStmt.getADeclaration() = d
+        ) and
+        not exists(LambdaCapture lc | lc.getField().getADeclarationEntry() = this)
+      )
+      or
+      this instanceof ExprStmt and
+      not exists(ForStmt f | f.getInitialization().getAChild*() = this) and
+      not exists(LambdaExpression l | l.getLambdaFunction().getBlock().getAChild*() = this)
     )
-    or
-    this instanceof ExprStmt and
-    not exists(ForStmt f | f.getInitialization().getAChild*() = this) and
-    not exists(LambdaExpression l | l.getLambdaFunction().getBlock().getAChild*() = this)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/cpp/autosar/test/rules/A7-1-7/test.cpp b/cpp/autosar/test/rules/A7-1-7/test.cpp
index 7c5a6263c..80f6542b1 100644
--- a/cpp/autosar/test/rules/A7-1-7/test.cpp
+++ b/cpp/autosar/test/rules/A7-1-7/test.cpp
@@ -152,4 +152,14 @@ void example_function() { f1(); } // COMPLIANT
 
 // clang-format off
 typedef struct x { int y; } z; //COMPLIANT - for struct typedef and struct var //NON_COMPLIANT - for struct all on one line
-// clang-format on
\ No newline at end of file
+// clang-format on
+
+#define foo(x, y)                                                              \
+  x++;                                                                         \
+  y++;
+
+void test_foo() {
+  int a = 1;
+  int b = 1;
+  foo(a, b); // COMPLIANT
+}