diff --git a/.github/workflows/alpine-test.yml b/.github/workflows/alpine-test.yml
index ceba11fb8..a9c29117e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/alpine-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/alpine-test.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
         adduser runner docker
       shell: sh -exo pipefail {0}  # Run this as root, not the "runner" user.
 
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v5
       with:
         fetch-depth: 0
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index 2bee952af..9191471c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ jobs:
         # your codebase is analyzed, see https://docs.github.com/en/code-security/code-scanning/creating-an-advanced-setup-for-code-scanning/codeql-code-scanning-for-compiled-languages
     steps:
     - name: Checkout repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      uses: actions/checkout@v5
 
     # Add any setup steps before running the `github/codeql-action/init` action.
     # This includes steps like installing compilers or runtimes (`actions/setup-node`
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cygwin-test.yml b/.github/workflows/cygwin-test.yml
index cc9e1edf0..5c42c8583 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cygwin-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cygwin-test.yml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ jobs:
         git config --global core.autocrlf false  # Affects the non-Cygwin git.
       shell: pwsh  # Do this outside Cygwin, to affect actions/checkout.
 
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v5
       with:
         fetch-depth: 0
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index ceba0dd85..ed535a914 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v5
 
-    - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+    - uses: actions/setup-python@v6
       with:
         python-version: "3.x"
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml b/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
index 4457a341f..7088310e5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash --noprofile --norc -exo pipefail {0}
 
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v5
       with:
         fetch-depth: 0
 
     - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v6
       with:
         python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
         allow-prereleases: ${{ matrix.experimental }}
diff --git a/git/ext/gitdb b/git/ext/gitdb
index 335c0f661..f8fdfec0f 160000
--- a/git/ext/gitdb
+++ b/git/ext/gitdb
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 335c0f66173eecdc7b2597c2b6c3d1fde795df30
+Subproject commit f8fdfec0fd0a0aed9171c6cf2c5cb8d73e2bb305
diff --git a/git/refs/symbolic.py b/git/refs/symbolic.py
index 1b90a3115..74bb1fe0a 100644
--- a/git/refs/symbolic.py
+++ b/git/refs/symbolic.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
     from git.config import GitConfigParser
     from git.objects.commit import Actor
     from git.refs.log import RefLogEntry
+    from git.refs.reference import Reference
     from git.repo import Repo
 
 
@@ -404,7 +405,7 @@ def object(self) -> AnyGitObject:
     def object(self, object: Union[AnyGitObject, "SymbolicReference", str]) -> "SymbolicReference":
         return self.set_object(object)
 
-    def _get_reference(self) -> "SymbolicReference":
+    def _get_reference(self) -> "Reference":
         """
         :return:
             :class:`~git.refs.reference.Reference` object we point to
@@ -416,7 +417,7 @@ def _get_reference(self) -> "SymbolicReference":
         sha, target_ref_path = self._get_ref_info(self.repo, self.path)
         if target_ref_path is None:
             raise TypeError("%s is a detached symbolic reference as it points to %r" % (self, sha))
-        return self.from_path(self.repo, target_ref_path)
+        return cast("Reference", self.from_path(self.repo, target_ref_path))
 
     def set_reference(
         self,
@@ -502,7 +503,7 @@ def set_reference(
 
     # Aliased reference
     @property
-    def reference(self) -> "SymbolicReference":
+    def reference(self) -> "Reference":
         return self._get_reference()
 
     @reference.setter