diff --git a/__test__/ref-helper.test.ts b/__test__/ref-helper.test.ts
index d3b00b7af..5c8d76b87 100644
--- a/__test__/ref-helper.test.ts
+++ b/__test__/ref-helper.test.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,16 @@ describe('ref-helper tests', () => {
     expect(checkoutInfo.startPoint).toBeFalsy()
   })
 
+  it('getCheckoutInfo refs/ without commit', async () => {
+    const checkoutInfo = await refHelper.getCheckoutInfo(
+      git,
+      'refs/non-standard-ref',
+      ''
+    )
+    expect(checkoutInfo.ref).toBe('refs/non-standard-ref')
+    expect(checkoutInfo.startPoint).toBeFalsy()
+  })
+
   it('getCheckoutInfo unqualified branch only', async () => {
     git.branchExists = jest.fn(async (remote: boolean, pattern: string) => {
       return true
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 2b7dd09e0..d86415e06 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -2005,8 +2005,8 @@ function getCheckoutInfo(git, ref, commit) {
             result.ref = ref;
         }
         // refs/
-        else if (upperRef.startsWith('REFS/') && commit) {
-            result.ref = commit;
+        else if (upperRef.startsWith('REFS/')) {
+            result.ref = commit ? commit : ref;
         }
         // Unqualified ref, check for a matching branch or tag
         else {
diff --git a/src/ref-helper.ts b/src/ref-helper.ts
index 00a1d27c3..58f929098 100644
--- a/src/ref-helper.ts
+++ b/src/ref-helper.ts
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ export async function getCheckoutInfo(
     result.ref = ref
   }
   // refs/
-  else if (upperRef.startsWith('REFS/') && commit) {
-    result.ref = commit
+  else if (upperRef.startsWith('REFS/')) {
+    result.ref = commit ? commit : ref
   }
   // Unqualified ref, check for a matching branch or tag
   else {