diff --git a/internal/app/run/runner.go b/internal/app/run/runner.go
index a751c2de..247068b5 100644
--- a/internal/app/run/runner.go
+++ b/internal/app/run/runner.go
@@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ func (r *Runner) run(ctx context.Context, task *runnerv1.Task, reporter *report.
 	} else if t := task.Secrets["GITHUB_TOKEN"]; t != "" {
 		preset.Token = t
 	}
+	applyPullRequestTargetCheckoutContext(preset)
 
 	if actionsIDTokenRequestURL := taskContext["actions_id_token_request_url"].GetStringValue(); actionsIDTokenRequestURL != "" {
 		envs["ACTIONS_ID_TOKEN_REQUEST_URL"] = actionsIDTokenRequestURL
@@ -574,6 +575,38 @@ func postInternalCache(url, secret string, body map[string]string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func applyPullRequestTargetCheckoutContext(preset *model.GithubContext) {
+	if preset == nil || preset.EventName != "pull_request_target" {
+		return
+	}
+	headSHA, _ := nestedString(preset.Event, "pull_request", "head", "sha")
+	if headSHA == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	preset.Sha = headSHA
+	preset.Ref = headSHA
+	if headRef, _ := nestedString(preset.Event, "pull_request", "head", "ref"); headRef != "" {
+		preset.HeadRef = headRef
+		preset.RefName = headRef
+	}
+}
+
+func nestedString(m map[string]any, keys ...string) (string, bool) {
+	var current any = m
+	for _, key := range keys {
+		next, ok := current.(map[string]any)
+		if !ok {
+			return "", false
+		}
+		current, ok = next[key]
+		if !ok {
+			return "", false
+		}
+	}
+	value, ok := current.(string)
+	return value, ok
+}
+
 func (r *Runner) RunningCount() int64 {
 	return r.runningCount.Load()
 }
diff --git a/internal/app/run/runner_test.go b/internal/app/run/runner_test.go
index 43635549..7305908d 100644
--- a/internal/app/run/runner_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/run/runner_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"testing"
 
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/model"
 	clientmocks "gitea.com/gitea/runner/internal/pkg/client/mocks"
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/internal/pkg/config"
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/internal/pkg/ver"
@@ -92,6 +93,67 @@ func TestNewRunnerInitializesLabelsAndEnvironment(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Nil(t, r.cacheHandler)
 }
 
+func TestApplyPullRequestTargetCheckoutContextUsesHeadSHA(t *testing.T) {
+	preset := &model.GithubContext{
+		EventName: "pull_request_target",
+		Sha:       "base-sha",
+		Ref:       "refs/heads/main",
+		RefName:   "main",
+		HeadRef:   "feature",
+		Event: map[string]any{
+			"pull_request": map[string]any{
+				"head": map[string]any{
+					"sha": "head-sha",
+					"ref": "contributor-branch",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	applyPullRequestTargetCheckoutContext(preset)
+
+	require.Equal(t, "head-sha", preset.Sha)
+	require.Equal(t, "head-sha", preset.Ref)
+	require.Equal(t, "contributor-branch", preset.RefName)
+	require.Equal(t, "contributor-branch", preset.HeadRef)
+}
+
+func TestApplyPullRequestTargetCheckoutContextNoOpsWithoutHeadSHA(t *testing.T) {
+	preset := &model.GithubContext{
+		EventName: "pull_request_target",
+		Sha:       "base-sha",
+		Ref:       "refs/heads/main",
+		RefName:   "main",
+		Event:     map[string]any{},
+	}
+
+	applyPullRequestTargetCheckoutContext(preset)
+
+	require.Equal(t, "base-sha", preset.Sha)
+	require.Equal(t, "refs/heads/main", preset.Ref)
+	require.Equal(t, "main", preset.RefName)
+}
+
+func TestApplyPullRequestTargetCheckoutContextNoOpsForOtherEvents(t *testing.T) {
+	preset := &model.GithubContext{
+		EventName: "pull_request",
+		Sha:       "merge-sha",
+		Ref:       "refs/pull/1/merge",
+		Event: map[string]any{
+			"pull_request": map[string]any{
+				"head": map[string]any{
+					"sha": "head-sha",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	applyPullRequestTargetCheckoutContext(preset)
+
+	require.Equal(t, "merge-sha", preset.Sha)
+	require.Equal(t, "refs/pull/1/merge", preset.Ref)
+}
+
 func taskWithDefaultActionsURL(url string) *runnerv1.Task {
 	return &runnerv1.Task{
 		Context: &structpb.Struct{