diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index e1a6acd0ac..e515fbf6b7 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -315,6 +315,12 @@ function createPullRequest(inputs) {
             if (branchRemoteName == 'origin' && base == inputs.branch) {
                 throw new Error(`The 'base' and 'branch' for a pull request must be different branches. Unable to continue.`);
             }
+            // For self-hosted runners the repository state persists between runs.
+            // This command prunes the stale remote ref when the pull request branch was
+            // deleted after being merged or closed. Without this the push using
+            // '--force-with-lease' fails due to "stale info."
+            // https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request/issues/633
+            yield git.exec(['remote', 'prune', branchRemoteName]);
             core.endGroup();
             // Apply the branch suffix if set
             if (inputs.branchSuffix) {
diff --git a/src/create-pull-request.ts b/src/create-pull-request.ts
index ae99875ab1..5691b0591c 100644
--- a/src/create-pull-request.ts
+++ b/src/create-pull-request.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,12 @@ export async function createPullRequest(inputs: Inputs): Promise<void> {
         `The 'base' and 'branch' for a pull request must be different branches. Unable to continue.`
       )
     }
+    // For self-hosted runners the repository state persists between runs.
+    // This command prunes the stale remote ref when the pull request branch was
+    // deleted after being merged or closed. Without this the push using
+    // '--force-with-lease' fails due to "stale info."
+    // https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request/issues/633
+    await git.exec(['remote', 'prune', branchRemoteName])
     core.endGroup()
 
     // Apply the branch suffix if set