diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8432455..05a2a5b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -152,7 +152,9 @@ verifies that test files are named correctly.
 #### `no-commit-to-branch`
 Protect specific branches from direct checkins.
   - Use `args: [--branch, staging, --branch, main]` to set the branch.
-    Both `main` and `master` are protected by default if no branch argument is set.
+    If no branch argument is set, the hook auto-detects the repository's default
+    branch from `origin/HEAD`. Falls back to protecting both `main` and `master`
+    if `origin/HEAD` is not configured.
   - `-b` / `--branch` may be specified multiple times to protect multiple
     branches.
   - `-p` / `--pattern` can be used to protect branches that match a supplied regex
diff --git a/pre_commit_hooks/no_commit_to_branch.py b/pre_commit_hooks/no_commit_to_branch.py
index b0b8b23..c5edf21 100644
--- a/pre_commit_hooks/no_commit_to_branch.py
+++ b/pre_commit_hooks/no_commit_to_branch.py
@@ -9,6 +9,17 @@ from pre_commit_hooks.util import CalledProcessError
 from pre_commit_hooks.util import cmd_output
 
 
+def _default_branch() -> frozenset[str]:
+    try:
+        ref = cmd_output('git', 'rev-parse', '--abbrev-ref', 'origin/HEAD')
+        branch = ref.strip().removeprefix('origin/')
+        if branch:
+            return frozenset((branch,))
+    except CalledProcessError:
+        pass
+    return frozenset(('master', 'main'))
+
+
 def is_on_branch(
         protected: AbstractSet[str],
         patterns: AbstractSet[str] = frozenset(),
@@ -39,7 +50,7 @@ def main(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> int:
     )
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
 
-    protected = frozenset(args.branch or ('master', 'main'))
+    protected = frozenset(args.branch) if args.branch else _default_branch()
     patterns = frozenset(args.pattern or ())
     return int(is_on_branch(protected, patterns))
 
diff --git a/tests/no_commit_to_branch_test.py b/tests/no_commit_to_branch_test.py
index 7d37e49..ccd83e4 100644
--- a/tests/no_commit_to_branch_test.py
+++ b/tests/no_commit_to_branch_test.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
 import pytest
 
+from pre_commit_hooks.no_commit_to_branch import _default_branch
 from pre_commit_hooks.no_commit_to_branch import is_on_branch
 from pre_commit_hooks.no_commit_to_branch import main
 from pre_commit_hooks.util import cmd_output
@@ -78,3 +81,43 @@ def test_default_branch_names(temp_git_dir, branch_name):
     with temp_git_dir.as_cwd():
         cmd_output('git', 'checkout', '-b', branch_name)
         assert main(()) == 1
+
+
+def test_default_branch_falls_back_when_empty_branch(tmpdir):
+    with patch(
+        'pre_commit_hooks.no_commit_to_branch.cmd_output',
+        return_value='origin/',
+    ):
+        assert _default_branch() == frozenset({'master', 'main'})
+
+
+def test_default_branch_detects_from_origin(tmpdir):
+    remote = tmpdir.join('remote')
+    cmd_output('git', 'init', '--', str(remote))
+    with remote.as_cwd():
+        cmd_output('git', 'checkout', '-b', 'develop')
+        git_commit('--allow-empty', '-m', 'init')
+
+    local = tmpdir.join('local')
+    cmd_output('git', 'clone', str(remote), str(local))
+
+    with local.as_cwd():
+        assert _default_branch() == frozenset({'develop'})
+
+
+def test_main_blocks_detected_default_branch(tmpdir):
+    remote = tmpdir.join('remote')
+    cmd_output('git', 'init', '--', str(remote))
+    with remote.as_cwd():
+        cmd_output('git', 'checkout', '-b', 'develop')
+        git_commit('--allow-empty', '-m', 'init')
+
+    local = tmpdir.join('local')
+    cmd_output('git', 'clone', str(remote), str(local))
+
+    with local.as_cwd():
+        # On detected default branch — should be blocked
+        assert main(()) == 1
+        # On a feature branch — should pass
+        cmd_output('git', 'checkout', '-b', 'feature')
+        assert main(()) == 0