diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 944e2ad..bfde7f7 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/rs/zerolog v1.27.0
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0
 	github.com/urfave/cli/v2 v2.3.0
+	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230213192124-5e25df0256eb
 	xorm.io/xorm v1.3.2
 )
 
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20220722155217-630584e8d5aa // indirect
 	golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20211112202133-69e39bad7dc2 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.0.0-20200107190931-bf48bf16ab8d // indirect
-	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220728004956-3c1f35247d10 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.1.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/text v0.3.6 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/time v0.0.0-20210611083556-38a9dc6acbc6 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/api v0.20.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index b5a7568..b10305c 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -768,6 +768,8 @@ golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20191227195350-da58074b4299/go.mod h1:2RIsYlXP63K8oxa1u0
 golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20200119233911-0405dc783f0a/go.mod h1:2RIsYlXP63K8oxa1u096TMicItID8zy7Y6sNkU49FU4=
 golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20200207192155-f17229e696bd/go.mod h1:J/WKrq2StrnmMY6+EHIKF9dgMWnmCNThgcyBT1FY9mM=
 golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20200224162631-6cc2880d07d6/go.mod h1:3jZMyOhIsHpP37uCMkUooju7aAi5cS1Q23tOzKc+0MU=
+golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230213192124-5e25df0256eb h1:PaBZQdo+iSDyHT053FjUCgZQ/9uqVwPOcl7KSWhKn6w=
+golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230213192124-5e25df0256eb/go.mod h1:CxIveKay+FTh1D0yPZemJVgC/95VzuuOLq5Qi4xnoYc=
 golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20190227222117-0694c2d4d067/go.mod h1:kZ7UVZpmo3dzQBMxlp+ypCbDeSB+sBbTgSJuh5dn5js=
 golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20190802002840-cff245a6509b/go.mod h1:FeLwcggjj3mMvU+oOTbSwawSJRM1uh48EjtB4UJZlP0=
 golang.org/x/lint v0.0.0-20181026193005-c67002cb31c3/go.mod h1:UVdnD1Gm6xHRNCYTkRU2/jEulfH38KcIWyp/GAMgvoE=
@@ -899,6 +901,8 @@ golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210927094055-39ccf1dd6fa6/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBc
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20211007075335-d3039528d8ac/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220728004956-3c1f35247d10 h1:WIoqL4EROvwiPdUtaip4VcDdpZ4kha7wBWZrbVKCIZg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220728004956-3c1f35247d10/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.1.0 h1:kunALQeHf1/185U1i0GOB/fy1IPRDDpuoOOqRReG57U=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.1.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201117132131-f5c789dd3221/go.mod h1:Nr5EML6q2oocZ2LXRh80K7BxOlk5/8JxuGnuhpl+muw=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201126162022-7de9c90e9dd1 h1:v+OssWQX+hTHEmOBgwxdZxK4zHq3yOs8F9J7mk0PY8E=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201126162022-7de9c90e9dd1/go.mod h1:bj7SfCRtBDWHUb9snDiAeCFNEtKQo2Wmx5Cou7ajbmo=
diff --git a/server/handler/handler_sub_domain.go b/server/handler/handler_sub_domain.go
index b3e91e1..68f4822 100644
--- a/server/handler/handler_sub_domain.go
+++ b/server/handler/handler_sub_domain.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog"
+	"golang.org/x/exp/slices"
 
 	"codeberg.org/codeberg/pages/html"
 	"codeberg.org/codeberg/pages/server/cache"
@@ -64,12 +65,21 @@ func handleSubDomain(log zerolog.Logger, ctx *context.Context, giteaClient *gite
 	// Check if the first directory is a branch for the defaultPagesRepo
 	// example.codeberg.page/@main/index.html
 	if strings.HasPrefix(pathElements[0], "@") {
+		targetBranch := pathElements[0][1:]
+
+		// if the default pages branch can be determined exactly, it does not need to be set
+		if len(defaultPagesBranches) == 1 && slices.Contains(defaultPagesBranches, targetBranch) {
+			// example.codeberg.org/@pages/... redirects to example.codeberg.org/...
+			ctx.Redirect("/"+strings.Join(pathElements[1:], "/"), http.StatusTemporaryRedirect)
+			return
+		}
+
 		log.Debug().Msg("main domain preparations, now trying with specified branch")
 		if targetOpt, works := tryBranch(log, ctx, giteaClient, &upstream.Options{
 			TryIndexPages: true,
 			TargetOwner:   targetOwner,
 			TargetRepo:    defaultPagesRepo,
-			TargetBranch:  pathElements[0][1:],
+			TargetBranch:  targetBranch,
 			TargetPath:    path.Join(pathElements[1:]...),
 		}, true); works {
 			log.Trace().Msg("tryUpstream: serve default pages repo with specified branch")
@@ -82,17 +92,17 @@ func handleSubDomain(log zerolog.Logger, ctx *context.Context, giteaClient *gite
 		return
 	}
 
-	for _, branch := range defaultPagesBranches {
+	for _, defaultPagesBranch := range defaultPagesBranches {
 		// Check if the first directory is a repo with a default pages branch
 		// example.codeberg.page/myrepo/index.html
 		// example.codeberg.page/{PAGES_BRANCHE}/... is not allowed here.
 		log.Debug().Msg("main domain preparations, now trying with specified repo")
-		if pathElements[0] != branch {
+		if pathElements[0] != defaultPagesBranch {
 			if targetOpt, works := tryBranch(log, ctx, giteaClient, &upstream.Options{
 				TryIndexPages: true,
 				TargetOwner:   targetOwner,
 				TargetRepo:    pathElements[0],
-				TargetBranch:  branch,
+				TargetBranch:  defaultPagesBranch,
 				TargetPath:    path.Join(pathElements[1:]...),
 			}, false); works {
 				log.Debug().Msg("tryBranch, now trying upstream 5")
@@ -101,14 +111,14 @@ func handleSubDomain(log zerolog.Logger, ctx *context.Context, giteaClient *gite
 			}
 		}
 
-		// Try to use the defaultPagesRepo on its default branch
+		// Try to use the defaultPagesRepo on an default pages branch
 		// example.codeberg.page/index.html
 		log.Debug().Msg("main domain preparations, now trying with default repo")
 		if targetOpt, works := tryBranch(log, ctx, giteaClient, &upstream.Options{
 			TryIndexPages: true,
 			TargetOwner:   targetOwner,
 			TargetRepo:    defaultPagesRepo,
-			TargetBranch:  branch,
+			TargetBranch:  defaultPagesBranch,
 			TargetPath:    path.Join(pathElements...),
 		}, false); works {
 			log.Debug().Msg("tryBranch, now trying upstream 6")