diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/CheckExpectedBranchVersionPlugin.java b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/CheckExpectedBranchVersionPlugin.java
index 9a25dced4c..3a5f17f499 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/CheckExpectedBranchVersionPlugin.java
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/CheckExpectedBranchVersionPlugin.java
@@ -21,8 +21,12 @@ import org.gradle.api.Plugin;
 import org.gradle.api.Project;
 import org.gradle.api.Task;
 import org.gradle.api.file.RegularFileProperty;
+import org.gradle.api.logging.Logger;
 import org.gradle.api.plugins.JavaBasePlugin;
 import org.gradle.api.provider.Property;
+import org.gradle.api.provider.Provider;
+import org.gradle.api.provider.ProviderFactory;
+import org.gradle.api.specs.Spec;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.CacheableTask;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.Input;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.OutputFile;
@@ -30,6 +34,7 @@ import org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskAction;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskExecutionException;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskProvider;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.VerificationException;
+import org.gradle.process.ExecOutput;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
@@ -44,21 +49,53 @@ public class CheckExpectedBranchVersionPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
 		TaskProvider<CheckExpectedBranchVersionTask> checkExpectedBranchVersionTask = project.getTasks().register("checkExpectedBranchVersion", CheckExpectedBranchVersionTask.class, (task) -> {
 			task.setGroup("Build");
 			task.setDescription("Check if the project version matches the branch version");
-			task.onlyIf("skipCheckExpectedBranchVersion property is false or not present", CheckExpectedBranchVersionPlugin::skipPropertyFalseOrNotPresent);
+			task.onlyIf("Property 'skipCheckExpectedBranchVersion' is false or not present", skipPropertyFalseOrNotPresent(project.getProviders()));
+			task.onlyIf("Branch name matches expected version pattern *.x", CheckExpectedBranchVersionPlugin::isVersionBranch);
 			task.getVersion().convention(project.provider(() -> project.getVersion().toString()));
-			task.getBranchName().convention(project.getProviders().exec((execSpec) -> execSpec.setCommandLine("git", "symbolic-ref", "--short", "HEAD")).getStandardOutput().getAsText());
+			task.getBranchName().convention(getBranchName(project.getProviders(), project.getLogger()));
 			task.getOutputFile().convention(project.getLayout().getBuildDirectory().file("check-expected-branch-version"));
 		});
 		project.getTasks().named(JavaBasePlugin.CHECK_TASK_NAME, checkTask -> checkTask.dependsOn(checkExpectedBranchVersionTask));
 	}
 
-	private static boolean skipPropertyFalseOrNotPresent(Task task) {
-		return task.getProject()
-				.getProviders()
+	private static Spec<Task> skipPropertyFalseOrNotPresent(ProviderFactory providers) {
+		Provider<Boolean> skipPropertyFalseOrNotPresent = providers
 				.gradleProperty("skipCheckExpectedBranchVersion")
 				.orElse("false")
-				.map("false"::equalsIgnoreCase)
-				.get();
+				.map("false"::equalsIgnoreCase);
+		return (task) -> skipPropertyFalseOrNotPresent.get();
+	}
+
+	private static boolean isVersionBranch(Task task) {
+		return isVersionBranch((CheckExpectedBranchVersionTask) task);
+	}
+
+	private static boolean isVersionBranch(CheckExpectedBranchVersionTask task) {
+		String branchName = task.getBranchName().getOrNull();
+		if (branchName == null) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		return branchName.matches("^[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.x$");
+	}
+
+	private static Provider<String> getBranchName(ProviderFactory providers, Logger logger) {
+		ExecOutput execOutput = providers.exec((execSpec) -> {
+			execSpec.setCommandLine("git", "symbolic-ref", "--short", "HEAD");
+			execSpec.setIgnoreExitValue(true);
+		});
+
+		return providers.provider(() -> {
+			int exitValue = execOutput.getResult().get().getExitValue();
+			if (exitValue != 0) {
+				logger.warn("Unable to determine branch name. Received exit code '{}' from `git`.", exitValue);
+				logger.warn(execOutput.getStandardError().getAsText().getOrNull());
+				return null;
+			}
+
+			String branchName = execOutput.getStandardOutput().getAsText().get().trim();
+			logger.info("Git branch name is '{}'.", branchName);
+			return branchName;
+		});
 	}
 
 	@CacheableTask
@@ -77,15 +114,10 @@ public class CheckExpectedBranchVersionPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
 		public void run() {
 			String version = getVersion().get();
 			String branchVersion = getBranchName().map(String::trim).get();
-			if (!branchVersion.matches("^[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.x$")) {
-				String msg = String.format("Branch version [%s] does not match *.x, ignoring", branchVersion);
-				getLogger().warn(msg);
-				writeExpectedVersionOutput(msg);
-				return;
-			}
 			if (!versionsMatch(version, branchVersion)) {
 				String msg = String.format("Project version [%s] does not match branch version [%s]. " +
-						"Please verify that the branch contains the right version.", version, branchVersion);
+						"Please verify that the branch contains the right version. " +
+						"To bypass this check, run the build with -PskipCheckExpectedBranchVersion.", version, branchVersion);
 				writeExpectedVersionOutput(msg);
 				throw new VerificationException(msg);
 			}