diff --git a/pre_commit/commands/autoupdate.py b/pre_commit/commands/autoupdate.py
index b4d559c8e..d5352e5e7 100644
--- a/pre_commit/commands/autoupdate.py
+++ b/pre_commit/commands/autoupdate.py
@@ -33,20 +33,6 @@ class RevInfo(NamedTuple):
     def from_config(cls, config: dict[str, Any]) -> RevInfo:
         return cls(config['repo'], config['rev'], None)
 
-    def get_best_candidate_tag(self, rev: str, git_repo: str) -> str:
-        """Get the best tag candidate.
-
-        Multiple tags can exist on a SHA. Sometimes a moving tag is attached
-        to a version tag. Try to pick the tag that looks like a version.
-        """
-        tags = cmd_output(
-            'git', *git.NO_FS_MONITOR, 'tag', '--points-at', rev, cwd=git_repo,
-        )[1].split()
-        for tag in tags:
-            if '.' in tag:
-                return tag
-        return rev
-
     def update(self, tags_only: bool, freeze: bool) -> RevInfo:
         git_cmd = ('git', *git.NO_FS_MONITOR)
 
@@ -70,11 +56,12 @@ def update(self, tags_only: bool, freeze: bool) -> RevInfo:
 
             try:
                 rev = cmd_output(*tag_cmd, cwd=tmp)[1].strip()
-                if tags_only:
-                    rev = self.get_best_candidate_tag(rev, tmp)
             except CalledProcessError:
                 cmd = (*git_cmd, 'rev-parse', 'FETCH_HEAD')
                 rev = cmd_output(*cmd, cwd=tmp)[1].strip()
+            else:
+                if tags_only:
+                    rev = git.get_best_candidate_tag(rev, tmp)
 
             frozen = None
             if freeze:
diff --git a/pre_commit/git.py b/pre_commit/git.py
index 853f4b0d0..6fff8d2a9 100644
--- a/pre_commit/git.py
+++ b/pre_commit/git.py
@@ -229,3 +229,18 @@ def check_for_cygwin_mismatch() -> None:
                 f' - python {exe_type[is_cygwin_python]}\n'
                 f' - git {exe_type[is_cygwin_git]}\n',
             )
+
+
+def get_best_candidate_tag(rev: str, git_repo: str) -> str:
+    """Get the best tag candidate.
+
+    Multiple tags can exist on a SHA. Sometimes a moving tag is attached
+    to a version tag. Try to pick the tag that looks like a version.
+    """
+    tags = cmd_output(
+        'git', *NO_FS_MONITOR, 'tag', '--points-at', rev, cwd=git_repo,
+    )[1].splitlines()
+    for tag in tags:
+        if '.' in tag:
+            return tag
+    return rev