diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index d698bfcf..38efa8ef 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -79,15 +79,20 @@ inputs:
     default: "true"
   dir_names:
     default: "false"
-    description: "Output unique changed directories instead of filenames. **NOTE:** This returns `.` for changed files located in the root of the project."
+    description: "Output unique changed directories instead of filenames. **NOTE:** This returns `.` for changed files located in the current working directory which defaults to `$GITHUB_WORKSPACE`."
     required: false
   dir_names_max_depth:
     description: "Limit the directory output to a maximum depth e.g `test/test1/test2` with max depth of `2` returns `test/test1`."
     required: false
+  dir_names_exclude_current_dir:
+    description: "Exclude the current directory represented by `.` from the output when `dir_names` is set to `true`."
+    required: false
+    default: "false"
   dir_names_exclude_root:
     description: "Exclude the root directory represented by `.` from the output when `dir_names`is set to `true`."
     required: false
     default: "false"
+    deprecationMessage: "This input is deprecated. Use `dir_names_exclude_current_dir` instead."
   json:
     description: "Output list of changed files in a JSON formatted string which can be used for matrix jobs."
     required: false
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index ebeffe7e..ac18bc1a 100644
Binary files a/dist/index.js and b/dist/index.js differ
diff --git a/dist/index.js.map b/dist/index.js.map
index 667fdab5..5e150ad3 100644
Binary files a/dist/index.js.map and b/dist/index.js.map differ
diff --git a/src/changedFiles.ts b/src/changedFiles.ts
index f1cfac28..71871588 100644
--- a/src/changedFiles.ts
+++ b/src/changedFiles.ts
@@ -130,7 +130,8 @@ export const getDiffFiles = async ({
       getDirnameMaxDepth({
         pathStr: file,
         dirNamesMaxDepth: inputs.dirNamesMaxDepth,
-        excludeRoot: inputs.dirNamesExcludeRoot
+        excludeCurrentDir:
+          inputs.dirNamesExcludeRoot || inputs.dirNamesExcludeCurrentDir
       })
     )
     files = [...new Set(files)]
diff --git a/src/commitSha.ts b/src/commitSha.ts
index d0d6847b..0d5251e3 100644
--- a/src/commitSha.ts
+++ b/src/commitSha.ts
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@ import {
 } from './utils'
 
 const getCurrentSHA = async ({
+  env,
   inputs,
   workingDirectory
 }: {
+  env: Env
   inputs: Inputs
   workingDirectory: string
 }): Promise<string> => {
@@ -47,7 +49,18 @@ const getCurrentSHA = async ({
     }
   } else {
     if (!currentSha) {
-      currentSha = await getHeadSha({cwd: workingDirectory})
+      if (
+        env.GITHUB_EVENT_PULL_REQUEST_HEAD_SHA &&
+        (await verifyCommitSha({
+          sha: env.GITHUB_EVENT_PULL_REQUEST_HEAD_SHA,
+          cwd: workingDirectory,
+          showAsErrorMessage: false
+        })) === 0
+      ) {
+        currentSha = env.GITHUB_EVENT_PULL_REQUEST_HEAD_SHA
+      } else {
+        currentSha = await getHeadSha({cwd: workingDirectory})
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -124,7 +137,7 @@ export const getSHAForPushEvent = async (
     }
   }
 
-  const currentSha = await getCurrentSHA({inputs, workingDirectory})
+  const currentSha = await getCurrentSHA({env, inputs, workingDirectory})
   let previousSha = inputs.baseSha
   const diff = '..'
 
@@ -321,7 +334,7 @@ export const getSHAForPullRequestEvent = async (
     core.info('Completed fetching more history.')
   }
 
-  let currentSha = await getCurrentSHA({inputs, workingDirectory})
+  const currentSha = await getCurrentSHA({env, inputs, workingDirectory})
   let previousSha = inputs.baseSha
   let diff = '...'
 
@@ -336,7 +349,7 @@ export const getSHAForPullRequestEvent = async (
       throw new Error('Similar commit hashes detected.')
     }
 
-    await verifyCommitSha({sha: currentSha, cwd: workingDirectory})
+    await verifyCommitSha({sha: previousSha, cwd: workingDirectory})
     core.debug(`Previous SHA: ${previousSha}`)
 
     return {
@@ -425,10 +438,6 @@ export const getSHAForPullRequestEvent = async (
     }
   }
 
-  if (previousSha === currentSha && env.GITHUB_EVENT_PULL_REQUEST_HEAD_SHA) {
-    currentSha = env.GITHUB_EVENT_PULL_REQUEST_HEAD_SHA
-  }
-
   if (
     !(await canDiffCommits({
       cwd: workingDirectory,
diff --git a/src/inputs.ts b/src/inputs.ts
index bca5e600..762dd07c 100644
--- a/src/inputs.ts
+++ b/src/inputs.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export type Inputs = {
   dirNames: boolean
   dirNamesMaxDepth?: number
   dirNamesExcludeRoot: boolean
+  dirNamesExcludeCurrentDir: boolean
   json: boolean
   escapeJson: boolean
   fetchDepth?: number
@@ -93,6 +94,12 @@ export const getInputs = (): Inputs => {
   const dirNamesExcludeRoot = core.getBooleanInput('dir_names_exclude_root', {
     required: false
   })
+  const dirNamesExcludeCurrentDir = core.getBooleanInput(
+    'dir_names_exclude_current_dir',
+    {
+      required: false
+    }
+  )
   const json = core.getBooleanInput('json', {required: false})
   const escapeJson = core.getBooleanInput('escape_json', {required: false})
   const fetchDepth = core.getInput('fetch_depth', {required: false})
@@ -127,6 +134,7 @@ export const getInputs = (): Inputs => {
     diffRelative,
     dirNames,
     dirNamesExcludeRoot,
+    dirNamesExcludeCurrentDir,
     json,
     escapeJson,
     sinceLastRemoteCommit,
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index 73ef5996..9fd4d67f 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -642,11 +642,11 @@ export const canDiffCommits = async ({
 export const getDirnameMaxDepth = ({
   pathStr,
   dirNamesMaxDepth,
-  excludeRoot
+  excludeCurrentDir
 }: {
   pathStr: string
   dirNamesMaxDepth?: number
-  excludeRoot?: boolean
+  excludeCurrentDir?: boolean
 }): string => {
   const pathArr = dirname(pathStr).split(path.sep)
   const maxDepth = Math.min(dirNamesMaxDepth || pathArr.length, pathArr.length)
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ export const getDirnameMaxDepth = ({
     output = path.join(output, pathArr[i])
   }
 
-  if (excludeRoot && output === '.') {
+  if (excludeCurrentDir && output === '.') {
     return ''
   }