diff --git a/hermes_cli/source_releases.py b/hermes_cli/source_releases.py
index ef11d7c536..14b9dcab55 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/source_releases.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/source_releases.py
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ def _resolve_channel(name: str, repository: str):
 
     ChannelReader owns HTTPS, authority and digests. The source adapter below
     admits its retirement constraints before any checkout operation. No legacy
-    GitHub fallback is allowed when a record is unavailable.
+    GitHub fallback is allowed when a record is unavailable; the one exception
+    is an unpublished ``main`` record, which resolves to the main branch.
     """
     from hermes_cli.release_channels import ChannelReader
 
@@ -73,11 +74,18 @@ def _resolve_channel(name: str, repository: str):
 
 def resolve_source_target(channel: str, git_cmd=None, cwd=None, *, repository=None) -> SourceTarget:
     """Resolve every subscription, including default labels, through R2."""
-    from hermes_cli.release_channels import validate_name
+    from hermes_cli.release_channels import ChannelNotFound, validate_name
 
     validate_name(channel)
     repository = repository or source_repository(git_cmd, cwd)
-    resolved = _resolve_channel(channel, repository)
+    try:
+        resolved = _resolve_channel(channel, repository)
+    except ChannelNotFound:
+        if channel != "main":
+            raise
+        # main IS the source branch; its record can only add a retirement.
+        # Until one is published, a checkout keeps following the branch via git.
+        return SourceTarget(channel, channel, repository, branch="main")
     terminal = resolved.terminal
     if terminal["repository"].lower() != repository.lower():
         raise ValueError("Channel repository does not match this source installation")
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_source_channel_integration.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_source_channel_integration.py
index 071ea9c29d..5695dc06c0 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_source_channel_integration.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_source_channel_integration.py
@@ -153,6 +153,25 @@ def test_missing_channel_cannot_fall_back_to_main(source, monkeypatch, channel):
     assert git(source.root, "rev-parse", "HEAD") == before
 
 
+def test_unpublished_main_record_keeps_following_the_git_branch(source, monkeypatch):
+    """main IS the source branch: until R2 publishes its record, a checkout
+    still updates via git instead of failing on a missing channel object."""
+    from hermes_cli import source_check
+    from hermes_cli.release_channels import ChannelNotFound
+
+    set_install_channel("main", source.root)
+    def unpublished(name, repository):
+        raise ChannelNotFound(f"Channel object not found: releases/channels/{name}.json")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(source_releases, "_resolve_channel", unpublished)
+    target = source_releases.resolve_source_target("main", ["git"], source.root)
+    assert target.branch == "main" and target.commit is None
+    status = source_check.check_for_updates(install_root=source.root, home=source.home, force=True)
+    assert "error" not in status, status
+    assert status["targetSha"] == source.commits[2]
+    with pytest.raises(ChannelNotFound):
+        source_releases.resolve_source_target("stable", ["git"], source.root)
+
+
 def test_passive_check_reports_retirement_without_adopting_it(source, monkeypatch):
     from hermes_cli import source_check, banner