diff --git a/src/pages/docs/packaging-applications/build-servers/github-actions.mdx b/src/pages/docs/packaging-applications/build-servers/github-actions.mdx
index e33d3c5fea..f476afebd6 100644
--- a/src/pages/docs/packaging-applications/build-servers/github-actions.mdx
+++ b/src/pages/docs/packaging-applications/build-servers/github-actions.mdx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 layout: src/layouts/Default.astro
 pubDate: 2023-01-01
-modDate: 2024-11-21
+modDate: 2026-09-15
 title: GitHub Actions
 description: Integrating Octopus Deploy into your GitHub Action workflows
 icon: fa-brands fa-github
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ jobs:
       with:
         project: 'MyProject'
         release_number: '1.0.0'
-        git_ref: ${{ github.ref }}
-        git_commit: ${{ github.sha }}
+        git_ref: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
+        git_commit: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
     
     # Action to Deploy a Release
     - name: Deploy a release in Octopus Deploy 🐙
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ jobs:
             Fizz: Buzz
 ```
 
+:::div{.hint}
+On a pull request, `github.ref` is `refs/pull/<number>/merge` and `github.sha` is the merge commit that GitHub creates for the pull request. That commit does not exist on any branch, so a release pinned to it can fail to deploy later. Use `github.head_ref` and `github.event.pull_request.head.sha` instead, as shown above. Both fall back to the push values on every other event.
+:::
+
 ### ✍️ Environment variables
 
 | Name              | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
@@ -183,8 +187,8 @@ jobs:
         with:
           project: 'MyProject'
           release_number: '1.0.0'
-          git_ref: ${{ github.ref }}
-          git_commit: ${{ github.sha }}
+          git_ref: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
+          git_commit: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
           packages: |
             HelloPackage:1.0.0
 ```
@@ -267,8 +271,8 @@ jobs:
         with:
           project: 'MyProject'
           release_number: '1.0.0'
-          git_ref: ${{ github.ref }}
-          git_commit: ${{ github.sha }}
+          git_ref: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
+          git_commit: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
           packages: |
             HelloPackage:1.0.0
 ```
diff --git a/src/pages/docs/projects/version-control/creating-release-from-a-build-server-plug-in.mdx b/src/pages/docs/projects/version-control/creating-release-from-a-build-server-plug-in.mdx
index a85a36bed5..79c9a2a103 100644
--- a/src/pages/docs/projects/version-control/creating-release-from-a-build-server-plug-in.mdx
+++ b/src/pages/docs/projects/version-control/creating-release-from-a-build-server-plug-in.mdx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 layout: src/layouts/Default.astro
 pubDate: 2023-01-01
-modDate: 2026-07-20
+modDate: 2026-09-15
 title: Creating releases from a build server plugin on a version-controlled project
 description: Examples of how to ensure that the right branch is used to create the release when using a build server plugin.
 navOrder: 45
@@ -51,10 +51,10 @@ ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
 For *Git Commit*, use
 
 ```text
-${{ github.event.push.after || github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
+${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
 ```
 
-**Note:** this approach doesn't populate the commit details for manually triggered runs. It is recommended that you provide the values for both branch and commit in this case.
+On a pull request this resolves to the head of the source branch. On every other event, including manually triggered runs, it falls back to `github.sha`.
 
 ## TeamCity