diff --git a/.github/actions/check-submodule-reference/action.yml b/.github/actions/check-submodule-reference/action.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index fd3b18f4bb..0000000000
--- a/.github/actions/check-submodule-reference/action.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-name: "Check submodule reference"
-description: "Check that submodule references a commit in a submodule repository's branch"
-
-inputs:
-  submodule_path:
-    description: "directory with the submodule"
-    required: true
-  branch:
-    description: "branch in the submodule repository"
-    required: true
-
-runs:
-  using: "composite"
-
-  steps:
-    - name: Check ${{ inputs.submodule_path }} submodule reference
-      shell: bash -euxo pipefail {0}
-      run: |
-        cd ${{ inputs.submodule_path }}
-        git fetch origin "refs/heads/${{ inputs.branch }}:refs/heads/origin/${{ inputs.branch }}"
-        RC=$(git merge-base --is-ancestor origin/${{ inputs.branch }} HEAD; echo $?)
-        if [ "$RC" != "0" ]; then
-          echo "${{ inputs.submodule_path }} submodule is not an ancestor of the ${{ inputs.branch }} branch. Please rebase it"
-          exit 1
-        fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml b/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml
index 22137937be..d3eb0266aa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml
@@ -130,35 +130,45 @@ jobs:
         with:
           submodules: true
 
-      # We need more history, to find the common ancestor between each REL_14_* branch.
-      # 3 months should be plenty.
-      - name: Checkout more history
-        id: checkout-deeper
-        run: git submodule foreach git fetch --shallow-since='3 months'
-
       - name: Check vendor/postgres-v14 submodule reference
-        uses: ./.github/actions/check-submodule-reference
+        uses: jtmullen/submodule-branch-check-action@v1
         with:
-          submodule_path: vendor/postgres-v14
-          branch: REL_14_STABLE_neon
+          path: "vendor/postgres-v14"
+          branch: "REL_14_STABLE_neon"
+          fetch_depth: "50"
+          sub_fetch_depth: "50"
+          first_parent: true
+          pass_if_unchanged: true
 
       - name: Check vendor/postgres-v15 submodule reference
-        uses: ./.github/actions/check-submodule-reference
+        uses: jtmullen/submodule-branch-check-action@v1
         with:
-          submodule_path: vendor/postgres-v15
-          branch: REL_15_STABLE_neon
+          path: "vendor/postgres-v15"
+          branch: "REL_15_STABLE_neon"
+          fetch_depth: "50"
+          sub_fetch_depth: "50"
+          first_parent: true
+          pass_if_unchanged: true
 
       - name: Check vendor/postgres-v16 submodule reference
-        uses: ./.github/actions/check-submodule-reference
+        uses: jtmullen/submodule-branch-check-action@v1
         with:
-          submodule_path: vendor/postgres-v16
-          branch: REL_16_STABLE_neon
+          path: "vendor/postgres-v16"
+          branch: "REL_16_STABLE_neon"
+          fetch_depth: "50"
+          sub_fetch_depth: "50"
+          first_parent: true
+          pass_if_unchanged: true
 
       - name: Check vendor/postgres-v17 submodule reference
-        uses: ./.github/actions/check-submodule-reference
+        uses: jtmullen/submodule-branch-check-action@v1
         with:
-          submodule_path: vendor/postgres-v17
-          branch: REL_17_STABLE_neon
+          path: "vendor/postgres-v17"
+          branch: "REL_17_STABLE_neon"
+          fetch_depth: "50"
+          sub_fetch_depth: "50"
+          first_parent: true
+          pass_if_unchanged: true
 
   check-codestyle-rust:
     needs: [ check-permissions, build-build-tools-image ]