diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 1bdcca09ae..859553f020 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ jobs:
     docker:
       - image: circleci/python:3.8
     steps:
+      # checkout code to default ~/project
       - checkout
       - run:
           name: install dependencies
@@ -14,7 +15,8 @@ jobs:
           name: generate docs
           command: mkdocs build --clean --strict --verbose
       - persist_to_workspace:
-          root: .
+          # the mkdocs build outputs are in ~/project/site
+          root: ~/project
           paths: site
 
   linkchecker:
@@ -22,45 +24,47 @@ jobs:
       - image: yarikoptic/linkchecker:9.4.0.anchorfix1-1
     steps:
       - attach_workspace:
-          at: ~/build
+          # mkdocs build outputs will be in ~/project/site
+          at: ~/project
       - run:
           name: check links
           command: |
             if (! git log -1 --pretty=%b | grep REL:) ; then
-            chmod a+rX -R ~
-            linkchecker -t 1 ~/build/site/
-            # check external separately by pointing to all *html so no
-            # failures for local file:/// -- yoh found no better way,
-            linkchecker -t 1 --check-extern \
-              --ignore-url 'file:///.*' \
-              --ignore-url https://fonts.gstatic.com \
-              --ignore-url "https://github.com/bids-standard/bids-specification/(pull|tree)/.*" \
-              --ignore-url "https://github.com/[^/]*" \
-              ~/build/site/*html ~/build/site/*/*.html
+              chmod a+rX -R ~
+              linkchecker -t 1 ~/project/site/
+              # check external separately by pointing to all *html so no
+              # failures for local file:/// -- yoh found no better way,
+              linkchecker -t 1 --check-extern \
+                --ignore-url 'file:///.*' \
+                --ignore-url https://fonts.gstatic.com \
+                --ignore-url "https://github.com/bids-standard/bids-specification/(pull|tree)/.*" \
+                --ignore-url "https://github.com/[^/]*" \
+                ~/project/site/*html ~/project/site/*/*.html
             else
-            echo "Release PR - do nothing"
+              echo "Release PR - do nothing"
             fi
 
   build_docs_pdf:
-    working_directory: ~/bids-specification/pdf_build_src
     docker:
       - image: danteev/texlive:latest
     steps:
-      - checkout:
-          path: ~/bids-specification
+      # checkout code to default ~/project
+      - checkout
       - run:
           name: install dependencies
           command: |
             python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-            pip install -r ../requirements.txt
+            pip install -r  ~/project/requirements.txt
       - run:
           name: install font that works with unicode emojis
           command: apt-get update && apt-get install -y fonts-symbola
       - run:
           name: generate pdf version docs
-          command: bash build_pdf.sh
+          command: |
+            cd ~/project/pdf_build_src
+            bash build_pdf.sh
       - store_artifacts:
-          path: bids-spec.pdf
+          path: ~/project/pdf_build_src/bids-spec.pdf
 
   # Auto changelog collector
   github-changelog-generator:
@@ -69,18 +73,21 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - setup_remote_docker:
           version: 18.06.0-ce
+      # checkout code to default ~/project
       - checkout
       - run:
           name: Build changelog
-          working_directory: ~/build
+          # $CHANGE_TOKEN is generated via the GitHub web UI, and then securely stored within CircleCI web UI
           command: |
+            mkdir ~/changelog_build
+            git status
             if (git log -1 --pretty=%s | grep Merge*) && (! git log -1 --pretty=%b | grep REL:) ; then
               github_changelog_generator \
                 --user bids-standard \
                 --project bids-specification \
                 --token ${CHANGE_TOKEN} \
-                --output ~/build/CHANGES.md \
-                --base ~/build/src/pregh-changes.md \
+                --output ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md \
+                --base ~/project/src/pregh-changes.md \
                 --header-label "# Changelog" \
                 --no-issues \
                 --no-issues-wo-labels \
@@ -88,65 +95,72 @@ jobs:
                 --no-compare-link \
                 --pr-label "" \
                 --release-branch master
-              cat ~/build/CHANGES.md
-              mv ~/build/CHANGES.md ~/build/src/CHANGES.md
+              cat ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
             else
               echo "Commit or Release, do nothing"
             fi
       - persist_to_workspace:
-          root: .
-          paths: src
+          # raw generated changelog in ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+          root: ~/.
+          paths: changelog_build
 
   # Run remark on the auto generated changes.md file
   remark:
     docker:
       - image: node:latest
     steps:
+      # checkout code to default ~/project
       - checkout
       - attach_workspace:
-          at: ~/build
+          # the freshly built CHANGES.md will be in ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+          at: ~/.
       - run:
           name: install remark and extensions
           command: npm install `cat npm-requirements.txt`
       - run:
           name: remark on autogenerated CHANGES.md
+          # format changelog, then use sed to change * to -, then lint changelog
           command: |
-            mkdir ~/project/src/tmp
+            git status
             if (git log -1 --pretty=%s | grep Merge*) && (! git log -1 --pretty=%b | grep REL:) ; then
-              cat ~/build/src/CHANGES.md
-              cp ~/build/src/CHANGES.md ~/project/src/tmp/CHANGES.md
-              npx remark ~/project/src/tmp/CHANGES.md --frail --rc-path .remarkrc
+              head -n 100 ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+              npx remark-cli ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md --rc-path ~/project/.remarkrc --output ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+              head -n 100 ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+              sed -i 's/*   /-   /' ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+              head -n 100 ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+              npx remark-cli ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md --frail --rc-path ~/project/.remarkrc
             else
               echo "Commit or Release, do nothing"
-              touch ~/project/src/tmp/empty.txt
             fi
       - persist_to_workspace:
-          root: ~/project/src
-          paths: tmp
+          # fixed+linted changelog in ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+          root: ~/.
+          paths: changelog_build
 
   # Push built changelog to repo
   Changelog-bot:
-    working_directory: ~/build
     docker:
       - image: circleci/openjdk:8-jdk
     steps:
       - setup_remote_docker:
           version: 17.11.0-ce
+      # checkout code to default ~/project
       - checkout
       - attach_workspace:
-          at: ~/build
+          # fixed+linted changelog in ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md
+          at: ~/.
       - deploy:
           name: Changelog deployment
-          working_directory: ~/build
+          # $CHANGE_TOKEN is generated via the GitHub web UI, and then securely stored within CircleCI web UI
           command: |
             if (git log -1 --pretty=%s | grep Merge*) && (! git log -1 --pretty=%b | grep REL:) ; then
-              mv ~/build/tmp/CHANGES.md ~/build/src/CHANGES.md
+              mv ~/changelog_build/CHANGES.md ~/project/src/CHANGES.md
               merge_message=$(git log -1 | grep Merge | grep "pull")
               PR_number=$(echo $merge_message | cut -d ' ' -f 4)
               git config credential.helper 'cache --timeout=120'
               git config user.email "bids.maintenance@gmail.com"
               git config user.name "bids-maintenance"
-              git add ~/build/src/CHANGES.md
+              git add ~/project/src/CHANGES.md
               git commit -m "[DOC] Auto-generate changelog entry for PR ${PR_number}"
               git push https://${CHANGE_TOKEN}@github.com/bids-standard/bids-specification.git master
             else