diff --git a/commands/ci/status/status.go b/commands/ci/status/status.go
index 69084c9b55dc20386d442b80655d53c10d8ae8b5..58b243e4f2c07541852d0f6e8a58780183e88cb7 100644
--- a/commands/ci/status/status.go
+++ b/commands/ci/status/status.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/api"
 	"gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/commands/ci/ciutils"
 	"gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/commands/cmdutils"
-	"gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/internal/glrepo"
 	"gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/pkg/dbg"
 	"gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/pkg/git"
 	"gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/pkg/utils"
@@ -38,7 +37,6 @@ func NewCmdStatus(f *cmdutils.Factory) *cobra.Command {
 		Long: ``,
 		Args: cobra.ExactArgs(0),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			var err error
 			c := f.IO.Color()
 
 			apiClient, err := f.HttpClient()
@@ -46,19 +44,27 @@ func NewCmdStatus(f *cmdutils.Factory) *cobra.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			repo, err := f.BaseRepo()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
 			branch, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("branch")
 			live, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("live")
 			compact, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("compact")
 
+			repoName := repo.FullName()
+			dbg.Debug("Repository:", repoName)
+
 			if branch == "" {
 				branch, err = git.CurrentBranch()
 				if err != nil {
-					return err
+					// if there isn't a branch via --branch, and we are not in a git repository set the branch to main
+					branch = "main"
 				}
 				dbg.Debug("Current branch:", branch)
 			}
 
-			var repo glrepo.Interface
 			branchConfig := git.ReadBranchConfig(branch)
 			if branchConfig.RemoteName == "" {
 				repo, err = f.BaseRepo()
@@ -77,8 +83,8 @@ func NewCmdStatus(f *cmdutils.Factory) *cobra.Command {
 					return err
 				}
 			}
-			repoName := repo.FullName()
-			dbg.Debug("Repository:", repoName)
+
+			dbg.Debug("Current branch:", branch)
 
 			runningPipeline, err := api.GetLatestPipeline(apiClient, repoName, branch)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -187,7 +193,7 @@ func NewCmdStatus(f *cmdutils.Factory) *cobra.Command {
 
 	pipelineStatusCmd.Flags().BoolP("live", "l", false, "Show status in real time until the pipeline ends.")
 	pipelineStatusCmd.Flags().BoolP("compact", "c", false, "Show status in compact format.")
-	pipelineStatusCmd.Flags().StringP("branch", "b", "", "Check pipeline status for a branch. Default: current branch.")
+	pipelineStatusCmd.Flags().StringP("branch", "b", "", "Check pipeline status for a branch.")
 
 	return pipelineStatusCmd
 }
diff --git a/docs/source/ci/status.md b/docs/source/ci/status.md
index ee451526736c4523cb5651f746c38a01e64932e8..d38614e6aa7ef508fff8c96ff7b1cd883c13879c 100644
--- a/docs/source/ci/status.md
+++ b/docs/source/ci/status.md
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ glab ci status
 ## Options
 
 ```plaintext
-  -b, --branch string   Check pipeline status for a branch. Default: current branch.
+  -b, --branch string   Check pipeline status for a branch.
   -c, --compact         Show status in compact format.
   -l, --live            Show status in real time until the pipeline ends.
 ```