diff --git a/ci-find-smithy-go.sh b/ci-find-smithy-go.sh
index d6e16712f95..c1e2346cf64 100755
--- a/ci-find-smithy-go.sh
+++ b/ci-find-smithy-go.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ if [ -z "$RUNNER_TMPDIR" ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
+if [ -n "$GIT_PAT" ]; then
+    repository=https://$GIT_PAT@github.com/$SMITHY_GO_REPOSITORY
+else
+    repository=https://github.com/$SMITHY_GO_REPOSITORY
+fi
+
 branch=$(git branch --show-current)
 if [ "$branch" == main ]; then
     echo aws-sdk-go-v2 is on branch main
@@ -31,12 +37,6 @@ if [ -z "$branch" ]; then
     branch=$GITHUB_HEAD_REF
 fi
 
-if [ -n "$GIT_PAT" ]; then
-    repository=https://$GIT_PAT@github.com/$SMITHY_GO_REPOSITORY
-else
-    repository=https://github.com/$SMITHY_GO_REPOSITORY
-fi
-
 echo on branch \"$branch\"
 while [ -n "$branch" ] && [[ "$branch" == *-* ]]; do
     echo looking for "$branch"...