diff --git a/misc/scripts/prepare-db-upgrade.sh b/misc/scripts/prepare-db-upgrade.sh
index 14aa030c25e4..8a8b32d17401 100755
--- a/misc/scripts/prepare-db-upgrade.sh
+++ b/misc/scripts/prepare-db-upgrade.sh
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ EOF
   exit "${exit_code}"
 }
 
-prev_hash="origin/main"
+# default for prev_hash: the main branch of the remote for 'github/codeql'.
+# This works out as a dynamic lookup of the hash of the file in the main branch
+# of the repo.
+prev_hash=$(git remote -v | grep 'github/codeql\.git (fetch)$' | cut -f1)/main
 
 while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
   case "$1" in