diff --git a/act/common/git/git.go b/act/common/git/git.go
index f3ecd992..f59eddd1 100644
--- a/act/common/git/git.go
+++ b/act/common/git/git.go
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ func CloneIfRequired(ctx context.Context, refName plumbing.ReferenceName, input
 
 func gitOptions(token string) (fetchOptions git.FetchOptions, pullOptions git.PullOptions) {
 	fetchOptions.RefSpecs = []config.RefSpec{"refs/*:refs/*", "HEAD:refs/heads/HEAD"}
+	fetchOptions.Force = true
 	pullOptions.Force = true
 
 	if token != "" {
diff --git a/act/common/git/git_test.go b/act/common/git/git_test.go
index 25b8009d..ff9e4c5b 100644
--- a/act/common/git/git_test.go
+++ b/act/common/git/git_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -220,6 +221,62 @@ func TestGitCloneExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGitCloneExecutorNonFastForwardRef(t *testing.T) {
+	// Simulate the scenario where a remote ref (e.g. a GitHub PR head ref) changes
+	// non-fast-forward between two fetches. Before the fix, the fetch used Force=false,
+	// causing go-git to return ErrForceNeeded and short-circuit the checkout.
+
+	gitConfig()
+
+	// Create a bare "remote" repo with an initial commit on main and a feature branch.
+	remoteDir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("init", "--bare", "--initial-branch=main", remoteDir))
+
+	// We need a working clone to push commits from.
+	workDir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("clone", remoteDir, workDir))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "checkout", "-b", "main"))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "commit", "--allow-empty", "-m", "initial"))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "push", "-u", "origin", "main"))
+
+	// Create a feature branch (simulates refs/pull/N/head).
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "checkout", "-b", "feature"))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "commit", "--allow-empty", "-m", "feature-1"))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "push", "origin", "feature"))
+
+	// First clone via the executor — should succeed and cache the repo.
+	cloneDir := t.TempDir()
+	clone := NewGitCloneExecutor(NewGitCloneExecutorInput{
+		URL: remoteDir,
+		Ref: "main",
+		Dir: cloneDir,
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, clone(context.Background()))
+
+	// Now force-push the feature branch to a non-fast-forward commit (simulates
+	// a PR rebase). This makes refs/heads/feature non-fast-forward.
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "checkout", "main"))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "branch", "-D", "feature"))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "checkout", "-b", "feature"))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "commit", "--allow-empty", "-m", "feature-rewritten"))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "push", "--force", "origin", "feature"))
+
+	// Also advance main so we can verify the clone picks up the new commit.
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "checkout", "main"))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "commit", "--allow-empty", "-m", "second"))
+	require.NoError(t, gitCmd("-C", workDir, "push", "origin", "main"))
+
+	// Second clone to the same directory — before the fix this returned ErrForceNeeded
+	// and left the working tree at the old commit.
+	err := clone(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err, "fetch with non-fast-forward refs must not fail when Force=true")
+
+	// Verify the working tree was actually updated to the latest main commit.
+	out, err := exec.Command("git", "-C", cloneDir, "log", "--oneline", "-1", "--format=%s").Output()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "second", strings.TrimSpace(string(out)), "working tree should be at the latest commit")
+}
+
 func gitConfig() {
 	if os.Getenv("GITHUB_ACTIONS") == "true" {
 		var err error