diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/auto-replace.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/auto-replace.spec.ts
index fb06f7bc23bc89..03ada2c1e2423a 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/auto-replace.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/auto-replace.spec.ts
@@ -1374,5 +1374,43 @@ describe('workers/repository/update/branch/auto-replace', () => {
         `,
       );
     });
+
+    it('github-actions: failes to update currentDigestShort', async () => {
+      const githubAction = codeBlock`
+        jobs:
+          build:
+            runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+            steps:
+              - uses: actions/checkout@2485f4 # tag=v1.0.0
+      `;
+      upgrade.manager = 'github-actions';
+      upgrade.updateType = 'replacement';
+      upgrade.pinDigests = true;
+      upgrade.autoReplaceStringTemplate =
+        '{{depName}}@{{#if newDigest}}{{newDigest}}{{#if newValue}} # {{newValue}}{{/if}}{{/if}}{{#unless newDigest}}{{newValue}}{{/unless}}';
+      upgrade.depName = 'actions/checkout';
+      upgrade.currentValue = 'v1.0.0';
+      upgrade.currentDigestShort = 'wrong';
+      upgrade.depIndex = 0;
+      upgrade.replaceString = 'actions/checkout@2485f4 # tag=v1.0.0';
+      upgrade.newName = 'some-other-action/checkout';
+      upgrade.newValue = 'v2.0.0';
+      upgrade.newDigest = '1cf887';
+      upgrade.packageFile = 'workflow.yml';
+      const res = await doAutoReplace(
+        upgrade,
+        githubAction,
+        reuseExistingBranch,
+      );
+      expect(res).toBe(
+        codeBlock`
+          jobs:
+            build:
+              runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+              steps:
+                - uses: some-other-action/checkout@2485f4 # tag=v2.0.0
+        `,
+      );
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/auto-replace.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/auto-replace.ts
index d89862e5daf72c..39bd5204644be5 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/auto-replace.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/auto-replace.ts
@@ -190,8 +190,10 @@ export async function doAutoReplace(
   const {
     packageFile,
     depName,
+    depNameTemplate,
     newName,
     currentValue,
+    currentValueTemplate,
     newValue,
     currentDigest,
     currentDigestShort,
@@ -237,24 +239,52 @@ export async function doAutoReplace(
       newString = replaceString!;
 
       const autoReplaceRegExpFlag = autoReplaceGlobalMatch ? 'g' : '';
-      if (currentValue && newValue) {
+      if (currentValue && newValue && currentValue !== newValue) {
+        if (!newString.includes(currentValue)) {
+          logger.debug(
+            { stringToReplace: newString, currentValue, currentValueTemplate },
+            'currentValue not found in string to replace',
+          );
+        }
         newString = newString.replace(
           regEx(escapeRegExp(currentValue), autoReplaceRegExpFlag),
           newValue,
         );
       }
-      if (depName && newName) {
+      if (depName && newName && depName !== newName) {
+        if (!newString.includes(depName)) {
+          logger.debug(
+            { stringToReplace: newString, depName, depNameTemplate },
+            'depName not found in string to replace',
+          );
+        }
         newString = newString.replace(
           regEx(escapeRegExp(depName), autoReplaceRegExpFlag),
           newName,
         );
       }
-      if (currentDigest && newDigest) {
+      if (currentDigest && newDigest && currentDigest !== newDigest) {
+        if (!newString.includes(currentDigest)) {
+          logger.debug(
+            { stringToReplace: newString, currentDigest },
+            'currentDigest not found in string to replace',
+          );
+        }
         newString = newString.replace(
           regEx(escapeRegExp(currentDigest), autoReplaceRegExpFlag),
           newDigest,
         );
-      } else if (currentDigestShort && newDigest) {
+      } else if (
+        currentDigestShort &&
+        newDigest &&
+        currentDigestShort !== newDigest
+      ) {
+        if (!newString.includes(currentDigestShort)) {
+          logger.debug(
+            { stringToReplace: newString, currentDigestShort },
+            'currentDigestShort not found in string to replace',
+          );
+        }
         newString = newString.replace(
           regEx(escapeRegExp(currentDigestShort), autoReplaceRegExpFlag),
           newDigest,
diff --git a/lib/workers/types.ts b/lib/workers/types.ts
index 3b5727320bbe08..54f0df74db6965 100644
--- a/lib/workers/types.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/types.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ export interface BranchUpgradeConfig
   currentDigest?: string;
   currentDigestShort?: string;
   currentValue?: string;
+
+  currentValueTemplate?: string;
   depIndex?: number;
   depTypes?: string[];