diff --git a/.github/workflows/patch.yml b/.github/workflows/patch.yml
index 83c2d7ff925..4b50c3b2043 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/patch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/patch.yml
@@ -171,7 +171,11 @@ jobs:
           update_to_version 16 3.14
 
           echo "Updating to latest version"
-          git -C "apps/frappe" fetch --depth 1 upstream "${GITHUB_BASE_REF:-${GITHUB_REF##*/}}"
+          # a stacked PR's base is an erpnext feature branch with no counterpart in frappe,
+          # so fall back to the repository's default branch
+          base_ref="${GITHUB_BASE_REF:-${GITHUB_REF##*/}}"
+          git -C "apps/frappe" fetch --depth 1 upstream "$base_ref" \
+            || git -C "apps/frappe" fetch --depth 1 upstream develop
           git -C "apps/frappe" checkout -q -f FETCH_HEAD
           git -C "apps/erpnext" checkout -q -f "$GITHUB_SHA"