diff --git a/.github/workflows/benchmarks.yml b/.github/workflows/benchmarks.yml
index 01d114cb..de4709e9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/benchmarks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/benchmarks.yml
@@ -7,17 +7,17 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       ref:
-        description: "Git ref to benchmark"
+        description: "Git ref to benchmark; defaults to the version input, then the selected workflow ref"
         required: false
-        default: "main"
+        default: ""
       version:
         description: "Version label to publish; defaults to the selected ref"
         required: false
         default: ""
       pattern:
-        description: "JMH benchmark pattern"
+        description: "JMH benchmark pattern; defaults to all benchmarks"
         required: false
-        default: "JRTCompare2Benchmark"
+        default: ".*"
       jmhArgs:
         description: "Extra JMH arguments; when provided, CLI options override benchmark annotations"
         required: false
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: false
 
 env:
-  DEFAULT_JMH_PATTERN: JRTCompare2Benchmark
+  DEFAULT_JMH_PATTERN: .*
   BENCHMARK_SITE_URL: https://jawk.io/
 
 jobs:
@@ -46,7 +46,15 @@ jobs:
       publish: ${{ steps.select.outputs.publish }}
 
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
+      - name: Checkout selected benchmark ref
+        if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          ref: ${{ inputs.ref || inputs.version || github.ref }}
+
+      - name: Checkout triggering ref
+        if: github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch'
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
@@ -75,7 +83,7 @@ jobs:
             jmh_args=""
             publish="true"
           else
-            ref="${INPUT_REF}"
+            ref="${INPUT_REF:-${INPUT_VERSION:-${GITHUB_REF_NAME}}}"
             version="${INPUT_VERSION}"
             pattern="${INPUT_PATTERN}"
             jmh_args="${INPUT_JMH_ARGS}"
@@ -91,20 +99,6 @@ jobs:
           if [ -z "${pattern}" ]; then
             pattern="${DEFAULT_JMH_PATTERN}"
           fi
-          if [[ "${ref}" == -* ]]; then
-            echo "Benchmark ref must not start with '-'." >&2
-            exit 1
-          fi
-
-          git fetch --tags --force origin
-          if commit="$(git rev-parse --verify --quiet -- "${ref}^{commit}")"; then
-            git checkout --detach "${commit}"
-          else
-            git fetch origin -- "${ref}"
-            commit="$(git rev-parse --verify --quiet -- "FETCH_HEAD^{commit}")"
-            git checkout --detach "${commit}"
-          fi
-
           safe_version="$(printf '%s' "${version}" | tr '/\\ ' '---' | tr -cd 'A-Za-z0-9._-')"
           if [ -z "${safe_version}" ]; then
             safe_version="$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"