diff --git a/__tests__/git.test.ts b/__tests__/git.test.ts
index 1ba2f7e..2454600 100644
--- a/__tests__/git.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/git.test.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ describe('context', () => {
         case 'git show --format=%H HEAD --quiet --':
           result = 'test-sha';
           break;
+        case 'git branch --show-current':
+          result = 'test';
+          break;
         case 'git symbolic-ref HEAD':
           result = 'refs/heads/test';
           break;
@@ -90,17 +93,76 @@ describe('remoteURL', () => {
 });
 
 describe('ref', () => {
-  it('have been called', async () => {
-    const execSpy = jest.spyOn(Exec, 'getExecOutput');
-    try {
-      await Git.ref();
-    } catch (err) {
-      // noop
-    }
-    expect(execSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`git`, ['symbolic-ref', 'HEAD'], {
-      silent: true,
-      ignoreReturnCode: true
+  it('returns mocked ref', async () => {
+    jest.spyOn(Exec, 'getExecOutput').mockImplementation((cmd, args): Promise<ExecOutput> => {
+      const fullCmd = `${cmd} ${args?.join(' ')}`;
+      let result = '';
+      switch (fullCmd) {
+        case 'git branch --show-current':
+          result = 'test';
+          break;
+        case 'git symbolic-ref HEAD':
+          result = 'refs/heads/test';
+          break;
+      }
+      return Promise.resolve({
+        stdout: result,
+        stderr: '',
+        exitCode: 0
+      });
     });
+
+    const ref = await Git.ref();
+
+    expect(ref).toEqual('refs/heads/test');
+  });
+
+  it('returns mocked detached tag ref', async () => {
+    jest.spyOn(Exec, 'getExecOutput').mockImplementation((cmd, args): Promise<ExecOutput> => {
+      const fullCmd = `${cmd} ${args?.join(' ')}`;
+      let result = '';
+      switch (fullCmd) {
+        case 'git branch --show-current':
+          result = '';
+          break;
+        case 'git show -s --pretty=%D':
+          result = 'HEAD, tag: 8.0.0';
+          break;
+      }
+      return Promise.resolve({
+        stdout: result,
+        stderr: '',
+        exitCode: 0
+      });
+    });
+
+    const ref = await Git.ref();
+
+    expect(ref).toEqual('refs/tags/8.0.0');
+  });
+
+  it('returns mocked detached branch ref', async () => {
+    jest.spyOn(Exec, 'getExecOutput').mockImplementation((cmd, args): Promise<ExecOutput> => {
+      const fullCmd = `${cmd} ${args?.join(' ')}`;
+      let result = '';
+      switch (fullCmd) {
+        case 'git branch --show-current':
+          result = '';
+          break;
+        case 'git show -s --pretty=%D':
+          result = 'HEAD, origin/test, test';
+          break;
+      }
+      return Promise.resolve({
+        stdout: result,
+        stderr: '',
+        exitCode: 0
+      });
+    });
+
+    const ref = await Git.ref();
+
+    expect(ref).toEqual('refs/heads/test');
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/src/git.ts b/src/git.ts
index 1ed9c55..7845300 100644
--- a/src/git.ts
+++ b/src/git.ts
@@ -89,13 +89,12 @@ export class Git {
   }
 
   public static async ref(): Promise<string> {
-    return await Git.exec(['symbolic-ref', 'HEAD']).catch(() => {
-      // if it fails (for example in a detached HEAD state), falls back to
-      // using git tag or describe to get the exact matching tag name.
-      return Git.tag().then(tag => {
-        return `refs/tags/${tag}`;
-      });
-    });
+    const isHeadDetached = await Git.isHeadDetached();
+    if (isHeadDetached) {
+      return await Git.getDetachedRef();
+    }
+
+    return await Git.exec(['symbolic-ref', 'HEAD']);
   }
 
   public static async fullCommit(): Promise<string> {
@@ -115,6 +114,37 @@ export class Git {
     });
   }
 
+  private static async isHeadDetached(): Promise<boolean> {
+    return await Git.exec(['branch', '--show-current']).then(res => {
+      return res.length == 0;
+    });
+  }
+
+  private static async getDetachedRef(): Promise<string> {
+    const res = await Git.exec(['show', '-s', '--pretty=%D']);
+
+    const refMatch = res.match(/^HEAD, (.*)$/);
+
+    if (!refMatch) {
+      throw new Error(`Cannot find detached HEAD ref in "${res}"`);
+    }
+
+    const ref = refMatch[1].trim();
+
+    // Tag refs are formatted as "tag: <tagname>"
+    if (ref.startsWith('tag: ')) {
+      return `refs/tags/${ref.split(':')[1].trim()}`;
+    }
+
+    // Otherwise, it's a branch "<origin>/<branch-name>, <branch-name>"
+    const branchMatch = ref.match(/^[^/]+\/[^/]+, (.+)$/);
+    if (branchMatch) {
+      return `refs/heads/${branchMatch[1].trim()}`;
+    }
+
+    throw new Error(`Unsupported detached HEAD ref in "${res}"`);
+  }
+
   private static async exec(args: string[] = []): Promise<string> {
     return await Exec.getExecOutput(`git`, args, {
       ignoreReturnCode: true,