diff --git a/.github/workflows/trigger_main.yml b/.github/workflows/trigger_main.yml
index 2d32cae..6f4356e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/trigger_main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/trigger_main.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITHUB_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(github) }}
         run: echo "$GITHUB_CONTEXT"
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Checkout code from this repo
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
       # get the develop branch of METplus to get the latest component version script
       # use fetch-depth 0 to get all branches
       - name: Get METplus repo for component version script
@@ -45,9 +46,11 @@ jobs:
           cmd="$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/METplus/metplus/component_versions.py -i METplotpy -v ${version} -o METplus -f main_v{X}.{Y}"
           echo $cmd
           metplus_branch=$($cmd)
+          # TODO: if no branch can be determined, exit and error
           echo git -C $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/METplus branch -l ${metplus_branch}
           git -C $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/METplus branch -l
-          branch_exists=$(git -C $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/METplus branch -l ${metplus_branch})
+          #branch_exists=$(git -C $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/METplus branch -l ${metplus_branch})
+          branch_exists=$(git -C $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/METplus branch -l main_v5.0)
           echo branch exists: ${branch_exists}
           if [ -z "${branch_exists}" ]; then
             echo "METplus branch ${metplus_branch} does not exist yet"