diff --git a/frontend/css/components.css b/frontend/css/components.css
index 87d0fbc..592ddda 100644
--- a/frontend/css/components.css
+++ b/frontend/css/components.css
@@ -674,6 +674,11 @@
   font-size: 13px;
 }
 
+.branch-menu-item:disabled {
+  cursor: default;
+  opacity: 0.72;
+}
+
 .branch-menu-item.active {
   background: var(--accent-subtle);
   color: var(--accent);
@@ -685,11 +690,35 @@
   border-color: transparent;
 }
 
+.branch-menu-item:disabled:hover {
+  background: transparent;
+}
+
+.branch-menu-name {
+  min-width: 0;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 2px;
+}
+
+.branch-menu-name > span {
+  overflow: hidden;
+  text-overflow: ellipsis;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+}
+
+.branch-menu-subtitle,
 .branch-current-mark {
   color: var(--text-muted);
   font-size: 11px;
 }
 
+.branch-menu-message {
+  padding: 6px 8px;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  font-size: 12px;
+}
+
 .danger-subtle {
   color: var(--danger);
 }
diff --git a/frontend/js/app.js b/frontend/js/app.js
index d89224d..0d2de8f 100644
--- a/frontend/js/app.js
+++ b/frontend/js/app.js
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ function currentRepositoryName() {
 }
 
 function currentBranchName() {
+  if (getState().sync.isDetached) return "Detached HEAD";
   return getState().workingTree.branch || getState().viewer.branch || defaultBranchName;
 }
 
@@ -543,10 +544,23 @@ function diffTemplate(diffResult) {
   return `<div class="diff-preview diff-preview-inline">${renderDiff(diffResult.diff || "")}</div>`;
 }
 
-function branchOptionTemplate(branch) {
-  return `<button class="branch-menu-item ${branch.current ? "active" : ""}" data-branch-name="${escapeHtml(branch.name)}" type="button">
-    <span>${escapeHtml(branch.name)}</span>
-    ${branch.current ? `<span class="branch-current-mark">Current</span>` : ""}
+function branchDisplayName(branch) {
+  return branch.localName || branch.name;
+}
+
+function branchOptionTemplate(branch, switchingTo = "") {
+  const displayName = branchDisplayName(branch);
+  const isSwitching = switchingTo === branch.name || switchingTo === displayName;
+  const status = isSwitching ? "Switching..." : branch.current ? "Current" : branch.isRemote ? (branch.remoteName || "Remote") : "";
+  const title = branch.isRemote
+    ? `Checkout ${displayName} as a local branch tracking ${branch.name}`
+    : `Checkout ${displayName}`;
+  return `<button class="branch-menu-item ${branch.current ? "active" : ""}" data-branch-name="${escapeHtml(branch.name)}" type="button" title="${escapeHtml(title)}" ${switchingTo ? "disabled" : ""}>
+    <span class="branch-menu-name">
+      <span>${escapeHtml(displayName)}</span>
+      ${branch.isRemote ? `<span class="branch-menu-subtitle">Remote: ${escapeHtml(branch.name)}</span>` : ""}
+    </span>
+    ${status ? `<span class="branch-current-mark">${escapeHtml(status)}</span>` : ""}
   </button>`;
 }
 
@@ -1413,7 +1427,7 @@ function dashboardView() {
         </span>
       </button>
       <div class="gd-branch-wrap">
-        <button id="branch-menu-btn" class="gd-toolbar-cell gd-branch-toolbar" type="button" ${!hasLocalRepo || state.branches.loading ? "disabled" : ""} title="${escapeHtml(displayBranchName)}">
+        <button id="branch-menu-btn" class="gd-toolbar-cell gd-branch-toolbar" type="button" ${!hasLocalRepo || state.branches.loading || state.branches.switchingTo ? "disabled" : ""} title="${escapeHtml(displayBranchName)}">
           <span class="gd-cell-icon">${BRANCH_ICON}</span>
           <span class="gd-cell-copy">
             <span class="gd-cell-label">Current branch</span>
@@ -1424,11 +1438,13 @@ function dashboardView() {
         ${state.branches.menuOpen ? `<div class="branch-menu">
           <div class="branch-menu-section">
             <div class="branch-menu-label">Switch Branch</div>
-            ${(state.branches.items.length ? state.branches.items : [{ name: displayBranchName, current: true }]).map(branchOptionTemplate).join("")}
+            ${state.branches.error ? `<div class="branch-menu-message danger-subtle">${escapeHtml(state.branches.error)}</div>` : ""}
+            ${state.branches.switchingTo ? `<div class="branch-menu-message">Switching to ${escapeHtml(state.branches.switchingTo)}...</div>` : ""}
+            ${(state.branches.items.length ? state.branches.items : [{ name: displayBranchName, localName: displayBranchName, current: true }]).map((branch) => branchOptionTemplate(branch, state.branches.switchingTo)).join("")}
           </div>
           <div class="branch-menu-section">
             <button class="branch-menu-action" data-branch-action="create" type="button">Create new branch…</button>
-            <button class="branch-menu-action" data-branch-action="rename" data-branch-name="${escapeHtml(displayBranchName)}" type="button" ${!displayBranchName ? "disabled" : ""}>Rename current branch…</button>
+            <button class="branch-menu-action" data-branch-action="rename" data-branch-name="${escapeHtml(displayBranchName)}" type="button" ${!displayBranchName || state.sync.isDetached ? "disabled" : ""}>Rename current branch…</button>
             <button class="branch-menu-action danger-subtle" data-branch-action="delete" type="button">Delete branch…</button>
           </div>
         </div>` : ""}
@@ -2599,15 +2615,22 @@ function bindDashboardEvents() {
         render();
         return;
       }
+      const selectedBranch = state.branches.items.find((item) => item.name === branch);
+      const displayName = selectedBranch ? branchDisplayName(selectedBranch) : branch;
+      state.branches.switchingTo = displayName;
+      render();
       try {
         const result = await checkoutBranch(state.selectedRepoPath, branch, selectedGitPath());
-        gitOutput = `${result.command}\n\n${result.stdout || "Branch switched."}\n${result.stderr || ""}`;
+        gitOutput = `${result.command}\n\n${result.stdout || `Switched to ${displayName}.`}\n${result.stderr || ""}`;
         state.branches.menuOpen = false;
         await refreshRepoData();
       } catch (error) {
         gitOutput = `Branch switch failed: ${errorMessage(error)}`;
         state.branches.menuOpen = false;
         render();
+      } finally {
+        state.branches.switchingTo = "";
+        render();
       }
     });
   });
diff --git a/frontend/js/state.js b/frontend/js/state.js
index dbd6ce1..8aafc03 100644
--- a/frontend/js/state.js
+++ b/frontend/js/state.js
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ const state = {
     items: [],
     createName: "",
     menuOpen: false,
+    switchingTo: "",
     dialog: {
       mode: "",
       target: "",
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index b82e4c3..f4ee422 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ struct ServerConnectionResult {
 struct LocalRepoBranch {
     name: String,
     current: bool,
+    is_remote: bool,
+    remote_name: Option<String>,
+    local_name: String,
 }
 
 #[derive(Serialize)]
@@ -812,6 +815,21 @@ fn normalize_reference(reference: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
     Ok(trimmed.to_string())
 }
 
+fn git_ref_exists(repo_path: &str, git_path: Option<String>, ref_name: &str) -> bool {
+    run_git_command(
+        Some(repo_path),
+        git_path,
+        vec![
+            "show-ref".to_string(),
+            "--verify".to_string(),
+            "--quiet".to_string(),
+            ref_name.to_string(),
+        ],
+    )
+    .map(|result| result.success)
+    .unwrap_or(false)
+}
+
 fn treeish(reference: &str, path: &str) -> String {
     if path.is_empty() {
         reference.to_string()
@@ -1393,6 +1411,35 @@ fn checkout_branch(
 ) -> Result<GitCommandResult, String> {
     let repo_path = validate_repo_dir(&repo_path)?;
     let branch = normalize_reference(&branch)?;
+    let local_ref = format!("refs/heads/{branch}");
+    if git_ref_exists(&repo_path, git_path.clone(), &local_ref) {
+        return ensure_git_success(run_git_command(
+            Some(&repo_path),
+            git_path,
+            vec!["checkout".to_string(), branch],
+        )?);
+    }
+
+    let remote_ref = format!("refs/remotes/{branch}");
+    if git_ref_exists(&repo_path, git_path.clone(), &remote_ref) {
+        if let Some((_, local_branch)) = branch.split_once('/') {
+            let tracking_local_ref = format!("refs/heads/{local_branch}");
+            if git_ref_exists(&repo_path, git_path.clone(), &tracking_local_ref) {
+                return ensure_git_success(run_git_command(
+                    Some(&repo_path),
+                    git_path,
+                    vec!["checkout".to_string(), local_branch.to_string()],
+                )?);
+            }
+        }
+
+        return ensure_git_success(run_git_command(
+            Some(&repo_path),
+            git_path,
+            vec!["checkout".to_string(), "--track".to_string(), branch],
+        )?);
+    }
+
     ensure_git_success(run_git_command(
         Some(&repo_path),
         git_path,
@@ -1806,20 +1853,59 @@ fn local_repo_branches(
         ],
     )?;
 
-    let branches = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output)
+    let ref_names = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output)
         .lines()
         .map(str::trim)
         .filter(|line| !line.is_empty() && !line.ends_with("/HEAD"))
+        .map(str::to_string)
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+    let local_names = ref_names
+        .iter()
+        .filter_map(|ref_name| ref_name.strip_prefix("refs/heads/"))
+        .map(str::to_string)
+        .collect::<HashSet<_>>();
+
+    let mut branches = ref_names
+        .iter()
         .filter_map(|ref_name| {
-            ref_name
-                .strip_prefix("refs/heads/")
-                .or_else(|| ref_name.strip_prefix("refs/remotes/"))
+            if let Some(name) = ref_name.strip_prefix("refs/heads/") {
+                return Some(LocalRepoBranch {
+                    name: name.to_string(),
+                    current: current.as_deref() == Some(name),
+                    is_remote: false,
+                    remote_name: None,
+                    local_name: name.to_string(),
+                });
+            }
+
+            let name = ref_name.strip_prefix("refs/remotes/")?;
+            let (remote_name, local_name) = name.split_once('/')?;
+            if local_names.contains(local_name) {
+                return None;
+            }
+
+            Some(LocalRepoBranch {
+                name: name.to_string(),
+                current: false,
+                is_remote: true,
+                remote_name: Some(remote_name.to_string()),
+                local_name: local_name.to_string(),
+            })
         })
-        .map(|name| LocalRepoBranch {
-            name: name.to_string(),
-            current: current.as_deref() == Some(name),
-        })
-        .collect();
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+    branches.sort_by(|a, b| {
+        b.current
+            .cmp(&a.current)
+            .then_with(|| a.is_remote.cmp(&b.is_remote))
+            .then_with(|| {
+                a.local_name
+                    .to_lowercase()
+                    .cmp(&b.local_name.to_lowercase())
+            })
+            .then_with(|| a.name.to_lowercase().cmp(&b.name.to_lowercase()))
+    });
 
     Ok(branches)
 }
@@ -1920,7 +2006,11 @@ fn local_repo_file(
             let raw = run_git_output(
                 repo_path.trim(),
                 git_path,
-                vec!["show".to_string(), "--no-ext-diff".to_string(), spec.clone()],
+                vec![
+                    "show".to_string(),
+                    "--no-ext-diff".to_string(),
+                    spec.clone(),
+                ],
             )?;
             let (preview_mime, preview_base64) = image_preview_pair(&path, &raw);
             return Ok(LocalRepoFile {
@@ -2033,8 +2123,7 @@ pub fn run() {
         .setup(|app| {
             use tauri::Manager;
             if let Some(window) = app.get_webview_window("main") {
-                let _ = window
-                    .set_background_color(Some(tauri::utils::config::Color(0, 0, 0, 0)));
+                let _ = window.set_background_color(Some(tauri::utils::config::Color(0, 0, 0, 0)));
             }
             Ok(())
         })