diff --git a/.github/workflows/openclaw-performance.yml b/.github/workflows/openclaw-performance.yml
index 16239451f12b..2dea8e70d73b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/openclaw-performance.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/openclaw-performance.yml
@@ -151,11 +151,39 @@ jobs:
             echo "present=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
 
+      - name: Resolve OpenClaw target ref
+        id: target
+        if: steps.lane.outputs.run == 'true'
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          TARGET_REF_INPUT: ${{ inputs.target_ref }}
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          requested="${TARGET_REF_INPUT:-}"
+          if [[ -z "$requested" ]]; then
+            echo "checkout_ref=${GITHUB_SHA}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "tested_ref=${GITHUB_REF_NAME}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          encoded_ref="$(node -e 'process.stdout.write(encodeURIComponent(process.argv[1]))' "$requested")"
+          if ! resolved_sha="$(gh api "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/commits/${encoded_ref}" --jq '.sha')"; then
+            echo "::error::Unable to resolve OpenClaw target_ref '${requested}'." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if [[ ! "$resolved_sha" =~ ^[0-9a-f]{40}$ ]]; then
+            echo "::error::OpenClaw target_ref '${requested}' resolved to invalid SHA '${resolved_sha}'." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "checkout_ref=${resolved_sha}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "tested_ref=${requested}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
       - name: Checkout OpenClaw
         if: steps.lane.outputs.run == 'true'
         uses: actions/checkout@df4cb1c069e1874edd31b4311f1884172cec0e10 # v6
         with:
-          ref: ${{ inputs.target_ref || github.ref }}
+          ref: ${{ steps.target.outputs.checkout_ref }}
           fetch-depth: 1
           persist-credentials: false
 
diff --git a/test/scripts/openclaw-performance-workflow.test.ts b/test/scripts/openclaw-performance-workflow.test.ts
index f12b2a9e0b1f..2acfcdbcca68 100644
--- a/test/scripts/openclaw-performance-workflow.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/openclaw-performance-workflow.test.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const WORKFLOW = ".github/workflows/openclaw-performance.yml";
 
 type WorkflowStep = {
   name?: string;
+  id?: string;
   if?: string;
   run?: string;
   env?: Record<string, string>;
@@ -51,6 +52,22 @@ describe("OpenClaw performance workflow", () => {
     expect(workflow).toContain(`inputs.kova_ref || '${kovaRef}'`);
   });
 
+  it("resolves dispatch target refs before checkout", () => {
+    const resolveTarget = findStep("Resolve OpenClaw target ref");
+    const checkout = findStep("Checkout OpenClaw");
+
+    expect(resolveTarget.id).toBe("target");
+    expect(resolveTarget.if).toBe("steps.lane.outputs.run == 'true'");
+    expect(resolveTarget.env?.GH_TOKEN).toBe("${{ github.token }}");
+    expect(resolveTarget.env?.TARGET_REF_INPUT).toBe("${{ inputs.target_ref }}");
+    expect(resolveTarget.run).toContain("encodeURIComponent");
+    expect(resolveTarget.run).toContain(
+      'gh api "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/commits/${encoded_ref}"',
+    );
+    expect(resolveTarget.run).toContain("checkout_ref=${resolved_sha}");
+    expect(checkout.with?.ref).toBe("${{ steps.target.outputs.checkout_ref }}");
+  });
+
   it("uses the clawgrit reports token for every report repo push path", () => {
     const prepare = findStep("Prepare clawgrit reports checkout");
     const publish = findStep("Publish to clawgrit reports");