diff --git a/src/components/ComboboxField.tsx b/src/components/ComboboxField.tsx
index d7008c3..4e269a1 100644
--- a/src/components/ComboboxField.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ComboboxField.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ type ComboboxFieldProps = {
   clearSelectionLabel?: string
   /** Match by letters/digits only (case-insensitive); ignores spaces and punctuation in query and options. */
   filterNormalize?: boolean
+  /** Optional display formatter; keeps option values stable while changing UI labels. */
+  displayValue?: (value: string) => string
 }
 
 function normalizeForFilter(s: string): string {
@@ -29,15 +31,16 @@ function buildRows(
   filter: string,
   clearSelectionLabel: string | undefined,
   value: string,
-  filterNormalize: boolean
+  filterNormalize: boolean,
+  displayValue: (value: string) => string
 ): Row[] {
   let filtered: readonly string[]
   if (filterNormalize) {
     const nq = normalizeForFilter(filter)
-    filtered = !nq ? [...options] : options.filter(o => normalizeForFilter(o).includes(nq))
+    filtered = !nq ? [...options] : options.filter(o => normalizeForFilter(displayValue(o)).includes(nq))
   } else {
     const q = filter.trim().toLowerCase()
-    filtered = !q ? [...options] : options.filter(o => o.toLowerCase().includes(q))
+    filtered = !q ? [...options] : options.filter(o => displayValue(o).toLowerCase().includes(q))
   }
   const r: Row[] = []
   if (clearSelectionLabel && value) r.push({ kind: 'clear' })
@@ -66,7 +69,9 @@ export function ComboboxField({
   layout = 'stacked',
   clearSelectionLabel,
   filterNormalize = false,
+  displayValue,
 }: ComboboxFieldProps) {
+  const renderValue = displayValue ?? (v => v)
   const rid = useId().replace(/:/g, '')
   const triggerId = id ?? `cb-${rid}`
   const labelId = `${triggerId}-label`
@@ -78,8 +83,8 @@ export function ComboboxField({
   const syncHighlightAfterOpenRef = useRef(false)
 
   const rows = useMemo(
-    () => buildRows(options, filter, clearSelectionLabel, value, filterNormalize),
-    [options, filter, clearSelectionLabel, value, filterNormalize]
+    () => buildRows(options, filter, clearSelectionLabel, value, filterNormalize, renderValue),
+    [options, filter, clearSelectionLabel, value, filterNormalize, renderValue]
   )
 
   const handleOpenChange = (next: boolean) => {
@@ -181,7 +186,9 @@ export function ComboboxField({
             aria-labelledby={labelId}
             className={cn(triggerClass, 'inline-flex items-center justify-between gap-1 text-left font-normal')}
           >
-            <span className={cn('min-w-0 truncate', !value && 'text-slate-600')}>{value || placeholder}</span>
+            <span className={cn('min-w-0 truncate', !value && 'text-slate-600')}>
+              {value ? renderValue(value) : placeholder}
+            </span>
             <ChevronDown className="size-4 shrink-0 opacity-60" aria-hidden />
           </button>
         </PopoverTrigger>
@@ -227,7 +234,7 @@ export function ComboboxField({
                   {row.kind === 'clear' ? (
                     <span className="text-slate-400">{clearSelectionLabel}</span>
                   ) : (
-                    row.value
+                    renderValue(row.value)
                   )}
                 </li>
               ))
diff --git a/src/pages/RepoPage.tsx b/src/pages/RepoPage.tsx
index ef33e04..b62398b 100644
--- a/src/pages/RepoPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/RepoPage.tsx
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ export default function RepoPage() {
   const [resolvedSha, setResolvedSha] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [refError, setRefError] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [pendingTagRefreshValidation, setPendingTagRefreshValidation] = useState(false)
-  const [isRefreshingTags, setIsRefreshingTags] = useState(false)
+  const [isRefreshingRepo, setIsRefreshingRepo] = useState(false)
+  const [refreshResolveTick, setRefreshResolveTick] = useState(0)
   const [readmeRefreshTick, setReadmeRefreshTick] = useState(0)
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!owner || !repo || !effectiveRef) return
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ export default function RepoPage() {
     return () => {
       cancelled = true
     }
-  }, [owner, repo, effectiveRef, resolveRef, navigate, ownerParam, repoParam])
+  }, [owner, repo, effectiveRef, resolveRef, navigate, ownerParam, repoParam, refreshResolveTick])
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!pendingTagRefreshValidation || !sourceRef || tagData === undefined) return
@@ -288,6 +289,48 @@ export default function RepoPage() {
     }
     return extras.length > 0 ? sortTagNames([...filtered, ...extras]) : filtered
   }, [tagOptions, meshforgeConfig, sourceRef, tagData?.row])
+  const [refShaByName, setRefShaByName] = useState<Record<string, string>>({})
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setRefShaByName({})
+  }, [owner, repo])
+
+  const tagNameSet = useMemo(() => new Set((tagData?.row?.tags ?? []).map(t => t.name.toLowerCase())), [tagData?.row?.tags])
+  const branchLikeTagOptions = useMemo(
+    () => filteredTagOptions.filter(name => !tagNameSet.has(name.toLowerCase())),
+    [filteredTagOptions, tagNameSet]
+  )
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!owner || !repo || branchLikeTagOptions.length === 0) return
+    let cancelled = false
+    const missing = branchLikeTagOptions.filter(name => !refShaByName[name])
+    if (missing.length === 0) return
+    void Promise.all(
+      missing.map(async name => {
+        const sha = await resolveRef({ owner, repo, ref: name })
+        return { name, sha }
+      })
+    )
+      .then(entries => {
+        if (cancelled) return
+        setRefShaByName(prev => {
+          const next = { ...prev }
+          for (const { name, sha } of entries) next[name] = sha
+          return next
+        })
+      })
+      .catch(() => {
+        // Ignore failed branch ref lookups; keep dropdown usable without SHA badges.
+      })
+    return () => {
+      cancelled = true
+    }
+  }, [owner, repo, branchLikeTagOptions, refShaByName, resolveRef])
+
+  const displayRefOption = (name: string) => {
+    if (tagNameSet.has(name.toLowerCase())) return name
+    const sha = refShaByName[name]
+    return sha ? `${name} (${sha.slice(0, 7)})` : name
+  }
   const filteredEnvNames = useMemo(
     () => filterEnvNames(envNames, meshforgeConfig, envCapabilities ?? {}, tagDraft),
     [envNames, meshforgeConfig, envCapabilities, tagDraft]
@@ -700,13 +743,14 @@ export default function RepoPage() {
             <div className="min-w-0 space-y-5 [grid-area:repo-main]">
               <div className="flex flex-nowrap items-end gap-2 overflow-x-auto border-b border-slate-800 pb-3 [-ms-overflow-style:none] [scrollbar-width:none] [&::-webkit-scrollbar]:hidden">
                 <ComboboxField
-                  label="Tag"
+                  label="Ref"
                   layout="inline"
                   id="mesh-forge-tag"
                   options={filteredTagOptions}
                   value={tagDraft}
-                  placeholder="--tag--"
-                  clearSelectionLabel="Clear tag"
+                  displayValue={displayRefOption}
+                  placeholder="--ref--"
+                  clearSelectionLabel="Clear ref"
                   onChange={v => {
                     setTagDraft(v)
                     if (v === "") {
@@ -828,22 +872,24 @@ export default function RepoPage() {
                   variant="outline"
                   size="sm"
                   className="w-full border-slate-600 text-slate-300 hover:border-slate-500 hover:bg-slate-800 hover:text-white"
-                  title="Refresh tags from GitHub"
-                  disabled={isRefreshingTags}
+                  title="Refresh repo metadata from GitHub"
+                  disabled={isRefreshingRepo}
                   onClick={() => {
-                    if (isRefreshingTags) return
-                    setIsRefreshingTags(true)
+                    if (isRefreshingRepo) return
+                    // Force re-resolve current ref so moving branches pick up latest SHA.
+                    setRefreshResolveTick(t => t + 1)
+                    setReadmeRefreshTick(t => t + 1)
+                    setIsRefreshingRepo(true)
                     void refreshTags({ owner, repo })
                       .then(() => {
                         setPendingTagRefreshValidation(true)
-                        setReadmeRefreshTick(t => t + 1)
                       })
                       .catch(e => toast.error(String(e)))
-                      .finally(() => setIsRefreshingTags(false))
+                      .finally(() => setIsRefreshingRepo(false))
                   }}
                 >
-                  <RefreshCw className={`size-3.5 ${isRefreshingTags ? "animate-spin" : ""}`} />
-                  {isRefreshingTags ? "Refreshing…" : "Refresh tags"}
+                  <RefreshCw className={`size-3.5 ${isRefreshingRepo ? "animate-spin" : ""}`} />
+                  {isRefreshingRepo ? "Refreshing…" : "Refresh repo"}
                 </Button>
               </div>
             </aside>