diff --git a/readthedocs/builds/models.py b/readthedocs/builds/models.py
index e782f52599f..b6e166c38a5 100644
--- a/readthedocs/builds/models.py
+++ b/readthedocs/builds/models.py
@@ -341,10 +341,10 @@ def commit_name(self):
         """
         # LATEST is special as it is usually a branch but does not contain the
         # name in verbose_name.
-        if self.slug == LATEST:
-            return self.project.get_default_branch()
+        if self.slug == LATEST and self.machine:
+            return self.identifier
 
-        if self.slug == STABLE:
+        if self.slug == STABLE and self.machine:
             if self.type == BRANCH:
                 # Special case, as we do not store the original branch name
                 # that the stable version works on. We can only interpolate the
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ def commit_name(self):
             return self.identifier
 
         # By now we must have handled all special versions.
-        if self.slug in NON_REPOSITORY_VERSIONS:
+        if self.machine and self.slug in NON_REPOSITORY_VERSIONS:
             # pylint: disable=broad-exception-raised
             raise Exception('All special versions must be handled by now.')
 
diff --git a/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py b/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py
index 0bd577827df..5ec565bc03c 100644
--- a/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py
+++ b/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py
@@ -694,6 +694,35 @@ def test_failed_build(
         assert revoke_key_request._request.method == "POST"
         assert revoke_key_request.path == "/api/v2/revoke/"
 
+    @mock.patch.object(Backend, "ref_exists")
+    @mock.patch("readthedocs.doc_builder.director.load_yaml_config")
+    def test_checkout_latest(self, load_yaml_config, ref_exists):
+        ref_exists.return_value = False
+        self.version.identifier = "main"
+        self.version.save()
+        load_yaml_config.return_value = get_build_config({})
+
+        self._trigger_update_docs_task(build_commit=None)
+
+        self.mocker.mocks["git.Backend.run"].assert_has_calls(
+            [
+                mock.call("git", "clone", "--depth", "1", mock.ANY, "."),
+                mock.call(
+                    "git",
+                    "fetch",
+                    "origin",
+                    "--force",
+                    "--prune",
+                    "--prune-tags",
+                    "--depth",
+                    "50",
+                    "refs/heads/main:refs/remotes/origin/main",
+                ),
+                mock.call("git", "checkout", "--force", "main"),
+                mock.call("git", "clean", "-d", "-f", "-f"),
+            ]
+        )
+
     @mock.patch.object(Backend, "ref_exists")
     @mock.patch("readthedocs.doc_builder.director.load_yaml_config")
     def test_checkout_tag_by_name(self, load_yaml_config, ref_exists):