diff --git a/build-tools-internal/src/integTest/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/AbstractTransportVersionFuncTest.groovy b/build-tools-internal/src/integTest/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/AbstractTransportVersionFuncTest.groovy
index 18ebfb6a314d7..d97c3747ce343 100644
--- a/build-tools-internal/src/integTest/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/AbstractTransportVersionFuncTest.groovy
+++ b/build-tools-internal/src/integTest/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/AbstractTransportVersionFuncTest.groovy
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ class AbstractTransportVersionFuncTest extends AbstractGradleFuncTest {
             include ':myserver'
             include ':myplugin'
         """
+        propertiesFile << """
+            org.elasticsearch.transports.upstreamRef=main
+        """
         versionPropertiesFile.text = versionPropertiesFile.text.replace("9.1.0", "9.2.0")
 
         file("myserver/build.gradle") << """
diff --git a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/TransportVersionResourcesPlugin.java b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/TransportVersionResourcesPlugin.java
index 44a00281dabb3..a08ea3be9b27c 100644
--- a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/TransportVersionResourcesPlugin.java
+++ b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/TransportVersionResourcesPlugin.java
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ public void apply(Project project) {
                 Directory transportResources = project.getLayout().getProjectDirectory().dir("src/main/resources/" + resourceRoot);
                 spec.getParameters().getTransportResourcesDirectory().set(transportResources);
                 spec.getParameters().getRootDirectory().set(project.getLayout().getSettingsDirectory().getAsFile());
+                Object upstreamRef = project.findProperty("org.elasticsearch.transport.upstreamRef");
+                if (upstreamRef != null) {
+                    spec.getParameters().getUpstreamRefOverride().set(upstreamRef.toString());
+                }
             });
 
         var depsHandler = project.getDependencies();
diff --git a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/TransportVersionResourcesService.java b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/TransportVersionResourcesService.java
index fa3780a0c062a..251f514002da6 100644
--- a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/TransportVersionResourcesService.java
+++ b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/TransportVersionResourcesService.java
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@
 import org.gradle.api.file.DirectoryProperty;
 import org.gradle.api.logging.Logger;
 import org.gradle.api.logging.Logging;
+import org.gradle.api.provider.Property;
 import org.gradle.api.services.BuildService;
 import org.gradle.api.services.BuildServiceParameters;
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.Optional;
 import org.gradle.process.ExecOperations;
 import org.gradle.process.ExecResult;
 
@@ -59,6 +61,9 @@ public interface Parameters extends BuildServiceParameters {
         DirectoryProperty getTransportResourcesDirectory();
 
         DirectoryProperty getRootDirectory();
+
+        @Optional
+        Property<String> getUpstreamRefOverride();
     }
 
     @Inject
@@ -79,6 +84,9 @@ public interface Parameters extends BuildServiceParameters {
     public TransportVersionResourcesService(Parameters params) {
         this.transportResourcesDir = params.getTransportResourcesDirectory().get().getAsFile().toPath();
         this.rootDir = params.getRootDirectory().get().getAsFile().toPath();
+        if (params.getUpstreamRefOverride().isPresent()) {
+            upstreamRefName.set(params.getUpstreamRefOverride().get());
+        }
     }
 
     /**