diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
index a07e6e0..e851ac5 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -121,21 +121,22 @@ jobs:
     container:
       image: git.fabledsword.com/bvandeusen/ci-python:3.14
     steps:
+      # Bare `uses:`, no `with:` block. Adding one made this action fail to
+      # extract on the act_runner ("Cannot find module .../dist/index.js") while
+      # every bare checkout in the same run succeeded — see run 3027. Nothing
+      # here needs `fetch-depth: 0` anyway: the version check diffs two trees,
+      # and a tree diff needs both trees, not a common ancestor. A depth-1 fetch
+      # of main's tip is enough, and cheaper.
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
-        with:
-          # The version-bump check diffs shipped plugin content against
-          # origin/main, so it needs history — a shallow clone can't resolve it
-          # and the check would fail loudly rather than pass blind.
-          fetch-depth: 0
 
-      # On main the comparison is against itself, so only the syntax and
-      # pattern checks are meaningful there.
+      # On main the comparison would be against itself, so only the syntax and
+      # pattern checks mean anything there.
       - name: Check plugin hooks and manifest
         run: |
           if [ "${{ github.ref }}" = "refs/heads/main" ]; then
             python3 scripts/check_plugin.py --no-version
           else
-            git fetch --no-tags origin main:refs/remotes/origin/main
+            git fetch --no-tags --depth=1 origin main:refs/remotes/origin/main
             python3 scripts/check_plugin.py
           fi
 
diff --git a/scripts/check_plugin.py b/scripts/check_plugin.py
index f535c36..c67c92f 100755
--- a/scripts/check_plugin.py
+++ b/scripts/check_plugin.py
@@ -171,8 +171,9 @@ def check_version_bump(base: str = "origin/main") -> None:
         # of bug survives in the first place.
         fail(
             f"cannot resolve {base}, so the version-bump check could not run. "
-            f"Fetch it (checkout needs fetch-depth: 0) or pass --no-version "
-            f"deliberately."
+            f"Fetch it first — `git fetch --depth=1 origin main:refs/remotes/"
+            f"origin/main` is enough, since this diffs two trees and needs no "
+            f"common ancestor — or pass --no-version deliberately."
         )
         return