diff --git a/githubapi/client.go b/githubapi/client.go
index 327684c..f8374fe 100644
--- a/githubapi/client.go
+++ b/githubapi/client.go
@@ -342,28 +342,34 @@ func (client *Client) createCommit(ctx context.Context, req cpgo.UpsertFileReque
 
 // updateHeadRef force-updates the branch ref, creating it when absent.
 func (client *Client) updateHeadRef(ctx context.Context, repository cpgo.RepositoryRef, headBranch string, commitSHA string) (bool, error) {
-	_, _, err := client.githubClient.Git.UpdateRef(ctx, repository.Owner, repository.Name, "heads/"+headBranch, github.UpdateRef{
-		SHA:   commitSHA,
-		Force: new(true),
-	})
+	refName := "heads/" + headBranch
+	_, _, err := client.githubClient.Git.GetRef(ctx, repository.Owner, repository.Name, refName)
 	if err == nil {
+		_, _, err = client.githubClient.Git.UpdateRef(ctx, repository.Owner, repository.Name, refName, github.UpdateRef{
+			SHA:   commitSHA,
+			Force: new(true),
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("force update branch ref: %w", err)
+		}
+
 		return false, nil
 	}
 
-	if !isNotFound(err) && !isReferenceMissing(err) {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("force update branch ref: %w", err)
+	if !isNotFound(err) {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("get head branch ref: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	_, _, err = client.githubClient.Git.CreateRef(ctx, repository.Owner, repository.Name, github.CreateRef{
-		Ref: "refs/heads/" + headBranch,
+		Ref: "refs/" + refName,
 		SHA: commitSHA,
 	})
 	if err == nil {
 		return true, nil
 	}
 
-	// The branch may have been created concurrently after the initial update attempt.
-	_, _, updateErr := client.githubClient.Git.UpdateRef(ctx, repository.Owner, repository.Name, "heads/"+headBranch, github.UpdateRef{
+	// The branch may have been created concurrently after the lookup.
+	_, _, updateErr := client.githubClient.Git.UpdateRef(ctx, repository.Owner, repository.Name, refName, github.UpdateRef{
 		SHA:   commitSHA,
 		Force: new(true),
 	})
@@ -387,29 +393,6 @@ func isNotFound(err error) bool {
 	return githubError.Response.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound
 }
 
-func isReferenceMissing(err error) bool {
-	var githubError *github.ErrorResponse
-	if !errors.As(err, &githubError) {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	if githubError.Response == nil || githubError.Response.StatusCode != http.StatusUnprocessableEntity {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	if strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(githubError.Message), "reference does not exist") {
-		return true
-	}
-
-	for _, item := range githubError.Errors {
-		if strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(item.Message), "reference does not exist") {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-
-	return false
-}
-
 func validateRepositoryRef(repository cpgo.RepositoryRef) error {
 	if strings.TrimSpace(repository.Owner) == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("repository owner is required")
diff --git a/githubapi/client_test.go b/githubapi/client_test.go
index 8a26ec6..257e2df 100644
--- a/githubapi/client_test.go
+++ b/githubapi/client_test.go
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ func TestClientFindOpenByHead(t *testing.T) {
 func TestClientUpsertFileAndForceBranch(t *testing.T) {
 	encodedProfile := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte("new-profile"))
 	createRefCalled := false
+	updateRefCalled := false
 
 	githubClient := newGitHubClient(t, http.HandlerFunc(func(response http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 		switch req.URL.Path {
@@ -162,9 +163,18 @@ func TestClientUpsertFileAndForceBranch(t *testing.T) {
 			_, _ = response.Write([]byte(`{"sha":"tree-sha"}`))
 		case "/repos/acme/payments/git/commits":
 			_, _ = response.Write([]byte(`{"sha":"commit-sha"}`))
-		case "/repos/acme/payments/git/refs/heads/cpgo":
-			response.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnprocessableEntity)
-			_, _ = response.Write([]byte(`{"message":"Reference does not exist","errors":[]}`))
+		case "/repos/acme/payments/git/ref/heads/cpgo":
+			switch req.Method {
+			case http.MethodGet:
+				response.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotFound)
+				_, _ = response.Write([]byte(`{"message":"Not Found"}`))
+			case http.MethodPatch:
+				updateRefCalled = true
+				response.WriteHeader(http.StatusForbidden)
+				_, _ = response.Write([]byte(`{"message":"Resource not accessible by integration"}`))
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected request method: %s", req.Method)
+			}
 		case "/repos/acme/payments/git/refs":
 			createRefCalled = true
 			var payload struct {
@@ -216,6 +226,54 @@ func TestClientUpsertFileAndForceBranch(t *testing.T) {
 	if !createRefCalled {
 		t.Fatalf("expected create ref call")
 	}
+
+	if updateRefCalled {
+		t.Fatalf("expected missing branch to be created without update attempt")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestClientUpdateHeadRef(t *testing.T) {
+	githubClient := newGitHubClient(t, http.HandlerFunc(func(response http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		switch {
+		case req.Method == http.MethodGet && req.URL.Path == "/repos/acme/payments/git/ref/heads/cpgo":
+			_, _ = response.Write([]byte(`{"ref":"refs/heads/cpgo","object":{"type":"commit","sha":"old-commit"}}`))
+		case req.Method == http.MethodPatch && req.URL.Path == "/repos/acme/payments/git/refs/heads/cpgo":
+			var payload struct {
+				SHA   string `json:"sha"`
+				Force bool   `json:"force"`
+			}
+			if err := json.NewDecoder(req.Body).Decode(&payload); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("decode update ref request: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			if payload.SHA != "new-commit" {
+				t.Fatalf("expected new-commit, got %s", payload.SHA)
+			}
+
+			if !payload.Force {
+				t.Fatalf("expected forced update")
+			}
+
+			_, _ = response.Write([]byte(`{"ref":"refs/heads/cpgo","object":{"type":"commit","sha":"new-commit"}}`))
+		default:
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %s %s", req.Method, req.URL.Path)
+		}
+	}))
+
+	client := mustNewClient(t, githubClient)
+	isBranchCreated, err := client.updateHeadRef(
+		context.Background(),
+		cpgo.RepositoryRef{Owner: "acme", Name: "payments"},
+		"cpgo",
+		"new-commit",
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("update head ref: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if isBranchCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("expected existing branch update")
+	}
 }
 
 func mustNewClient(t *testing.T, githubClient *github.Client) *Client {