diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 0f6e4cf..9120023 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -49,5 +49,5 @@ outputs:
   issueNumber:
     description: 'If an issue was created, this will be its number'
 runs:
-  using: 'node16'
+  using: 'node20'
   main: 'dist/index.js'
diff --git a/lib/issues.js b/lib/issues.js
index 889cac5..49410ae 100644
--- a/lib/issues.js
+++ b/lib/issues.js
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ module.exports.stringifiedIssueTemplate = async function stringifiedIssueTemplat
   const response = await client.repos.getContents({
     owner: options.owner,
     repo: options.repo,
-    path: `.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/${options.template}`
+    path: `.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/${options.template}`,
+    ref: options.ref || 'main'
   })
 
   // check that we're not trying to parse a file that doesn't exist. If we are, throw.
diff --git a/run.js b/run.js
index 204d655..bf5cc42 100644
--- a/run.js
+++ b/run.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 'use strict'
+const util = require('node:util')
 const core = require('@actions/core')
 const github = require('@actions/github')
 const list = require('safe-parse-list')
@@ -71,7 +72,8 @@ const conversions = require('./lib/conversions')
       try {
         const userProvidedIssueTemplate = await issues.stringifiedIssueTemplate(client, {
           ...repo,
-          template: issueTemplate
+          template: issueTemplate,
+          ref: github.context.payload?.pull_request?.head?.ref || github.context.payload?.repository?.default_branch || 'main'
         })
         template = conversions.convert(userProvidedIssueTemplate)
         template = ejs.compile(userProvidedIssueTemplate)