diff --git a/.github/workflows/cherry-pick-to-stable.yml b/.github/workflows/cherry-pick-to-stable.yml
index f59a3ed4a..485f20e7b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cherry-pick-to-stable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cherry-pick-to-stable.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ jobs:
         with:
           # Use the dynamically generated GitHub App token
           token: ${{ steps.generate-token.outputs.token }}
+          # Explicitly check out the base branch (the PR is already merged into it).
+          # Avoids the default `refs/pull/<PR>/merge` ref, which actions/checkout
+          # refuses to check out for fork PRs on pull_request_target events.
+          ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref }}
           fetch-depth: 0
 
       - name: Configure Git Author