diff --git a/models/actions/schedule_test.go b/models/actions/schedule_test.go
index 016185cb42..41a61e45eb 100644
--- a/models/actions/schedule_test.go
+++ b/models/actions/schedule_test.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ jobs:
 		WorkflowID:        "test.yaml",
 		WorkflowDirectory: ".forgejo/workflows",
 		TriggerUserID:     -2,
-		Ref:               "main",
+		Ref:               "refs/heads/main",
 		CommitSHA:         "6af834a5bc97c1a337eb3a21d26903c5cdceca0c",
 		Event:             webhook.HookEventPush,
 		EventPayload:      "{\"action\":\"schedule\"}",
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ jobs:
 	assert.Equal(t, "test.yaml", schedules[0].WorkflowID)
 	assert.Equal(t, ".forgejo/workflows", schedules[0].WorkflowDirectory)
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(-2), schedules[0].TriggerUserID)
-	assert.Equal(t, "main", schedules[0].Ref)
+	assert.Equal(t, "refs/heads/main", schedules[0].Ref)
 	assert.Equal(t, "6af834a5bc97c1a337eb3a21d26903c5cdceca0c", schedules[0].CommitSHA)
 	assert.Equal(t, webhook.HookEventPush, schedules[0].Event)
 	assert.JSONEq(t, "{\"action\":\"schedule\"}", schedules[0].EventPayload)
diff --git a/services/actions/notifier_helper.go b/services/actions/notifier_helper.go
index 5e048a83ad..5e1cf261ab 100644
--- a/services/actions/notifier_helper.go
+++ b/services/actions/notifier_helper.go
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ func handleSchedules(
 			WorkflowID:        dwf.EntryName,
 			WorkflowDirectory: dwf.EntryDirectory,
 			TriggerUserID:     user_model.ActionsUserID,
-			Ref:               input.Repo.DefaultBranch,
+			Ref:               input.Ref.String(),
 			CommitSHA:         commit.ID.String(),
 			Event:             input.Event,
 			EventPayload:      string(p),
@@ -639,7 +639,8 @@ func DetectAndHandleSchedules(ctx context.Context, repo *repo_model.Repository)
 	// We need a notifyInput to call handleSchedules
 	// if repo is a mirror, commit author maybe an external user,
 	// so we use action user as the Doer of the notifyInput
-	notifyInput := newNotifyInputForSchedules(repo)
+	notifyInput := newNotifyInputForSchedules(repo).
+		WithRef(git.RefNameFromBranch(repo.DefaultBranch).String())
 
 	return handleSchedules(ctx, scheduleWorkflows, commit, notifyInput, repo.DefaultBranch)
 }
diff --git a/tests/integration/actions_trigger_test.go b/tests/integration/actions_trigger_test.go
index 5bd0397498..2556a9eb2f 100644
--- a/tests/integration/actions_trigger_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/actions_trigger_test.go
@@ -1289,6 +1289,7 @@ jobs:
 				assert.Equal(t, repo.OwnerID, schedules[0].OwnerID)
 				assert.Equal(t, testCase.workflowID, schedules[0].WorkflowID)
 				assert.Equal(t, testCase.workflowDirectory, schedules[0].WorkflowDirectory)
+				assert.Equal(t, "refs/heads/main", schedules[0].Ref)
 				assert.Equal(t, int64(-2), schedules[0].TriggerUserID)
 				assert.Equal(t, sha, schedules[0].CommitSHA)
 				assert.Equal(t, webhook_module.HookEventPush, schedules[0].Event)
diff --git a/tests/integration/change_default_branch_test.go b/tests/integration/change_default_branch_test.go
index 610e3d07c1..f0aa53cb7d 100644
--- a/tests/integration/change_default_branch_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/change_default_branch_test.go
@@ -167,12 +167,12 @@ jobs:
 		err = repo_service.SetRepoDefaultBranch(t.Context(), repo, gitRepo, "test")
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		assertSchedule(t, "test", testWorkflow.updatedWorkflowContent, expectedTestSpec)
+		assertSchedule(t, "refs/heads/test", testWorkflow.updatedWorkflowContent, expectedTestSpec)
 
 		// change default branch to main
 		err = repo_service.SetRepoDefaultBranch(t.Context(), repo, gitRepo, "main")
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		assertSchedule(t, "main", testWorkflow.workflowContent, expectedMainSpec)
+		assertSchedule(t, "refs/heads/main", testWorkflow.workflowContent, expectedMainSpec)
 	})
 }