diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ab61e12..cd96d86 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ This action can be used in other repositories' workflows to clone multiple repos
   with:
     repo-list: "org/repo1 org/repo2"
     git-pat: ${{ secrets.GIT_PAT }}
+    default-repo-ref: "main"
 ~~~
 
 ### Features
diff --git a/git-clone/action.yml b/git-clone/action.yml
index ec04caf..ea354a5 100644
--- a/git-clone/action.yml
+++ b/git-clone/action.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ inputs:
     description: 'Git Personal Access Token for authentication'
     default: ''
     required: false
+  default-repo-ref:
+    description: 'Default Git reference to check out'
+    default: 'main'
+    required: false
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
diff --git a/scripts/git-clone-ref.py b/scripts/git-clone-ref.py
index 1428a84..ea3eeb2 100755
--- a/scripts/git-clone-ref.py
+++ b/scripts/git-clone-ref.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ def git_clone_repos(
     paths: list[str],
     repo_base_url_template: str,
     git_pat: str,
+    default_repo_ref: str,
 ) -> None:
     for repo_path in paths:
         repo_name = os.path.basename(repo_path)
@@ -57,22 +58,30 @@ def git_clone_repos(
         print(repo_url)
 
         repo_ref_env = f"{repo_name}_REF".upper().replace("-", "_")
-        repo_ref = os.environ.get(repo_ref_env, "main")
+        repo_ref = os.environ.get(repo_ref_env, default_repo_ref)
 
         active_ref = git_clone_repo(repo_url, repo_path, repo_ref)
         logger.info(
-            f"cloned repo {repo_name!r} ref {active_ref!r} " f"in path {repo_path!r}"
+            f"cloned repo {repo_name!r} ref {active_ref!r} in path {repo_path!r}"
         )
 
 
 @app.command()
 def main(
     github_repos: list[str] = typer.Argument(..., help="GitHub repositories to clone"),
-    git_pat: str = typer.Option(default="", envvar="GIT_PAT", help="GitHub Personal Access Token"),
+    git_pat: str = typer.Option(
+        default="", envvar="GIT_PAT", help="GitHub Personal Access Token"
+    ),
+    default_repo_ref: str = typer.Option(
+        default="main", help="Default Git reference to check out"
+    ),
 ):
     logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
     git_clone_repos(
-        github_repos, "https://{credentials}github.com/{repo_org}/{repo_name}.git", git_pat
+        github_repos,
+        "https://{credentials}github.com/{repo_org}/{repo_name}.git",
+        git_pat,
+        default_repo_ref,
     )