diff --git a/scm.py b/scm.py
index 5275d434d..39f8c58ec 100644
--- a/scm.py
+++ b/scm.py
@@ -201,6 +201,12 @@ class GIT(object):
       try:
         # Try using local git copy first
         ref = 'refs/remotes/%s/HEAD' % remote
+        ref = GIT.Capture(['symbolic-ref', ref], cwd=cwd)
+        if not ref.endswith('master'):
+          return ref
+        # Check if there are changes in the default branch for this particular
+        # repository.
+        GIT.Capture(['remote', 'set-head', '-a', remote], cwd=cwd)
         return GIT.Capture(['symbolic-ref', ref], cwd=cwd)
       except subprocess2.CalledProcessError:
         pass
diff --git a/tests/scm_unittest.py b/tests/scm_unittest.py
index 8f0b7825d..0eb5b675e 100755
--- a/tests/scm_unittest.py
+++ b/tests/scm_unittest.py
@@ -107,6 +107,18 @@ class GitWrapperTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
                      scm.GIT.GetRemoteHeadRef('foo', 'proto://url', 'origin'))
     self.assertEqual(mockCapture.call_count, 1)
 
+  @mock.patch('scm.GIT.Capture')
+  @mock.patch('os.path.exists', lambda _: True)
+  def testGetRemoteHeadRefLocalUpdateHead(self, mockCapture):
+    mockCapture.side_effect = [
+        'refs/remotes/origin/master',  # first symbolic-ref call
+        'foo',  # set-head call
+        'refs/remotes/origin/main',  # second symbolic-ref call
+    ]
+    self.assertEqual('refs/remotes/origin/main',
+                     scm.GIT.GetRemoteHeadRef('foo', 'proto://url', 'origin'))
+    self.assertEqual(mockCapture.call_count, 3)
+
   @mock.patch('scm.GIT.Capture')
   @mock.patch('os.path.exists', lambda _:True)
   def testGetRemoteHeadRefRemote(self, mockCapture):