diff --git a/packages/server/src/services/gitea-service.test.ts b/packages/server/src/services/gitea-service.test.ts
index 768f1a7f05..b0484b3cb5 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/services/gitea-service.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/services/gitea-service.test.ts
@@ -2330,10 +2330,7 @@ describe("createGiteaService", () => {
       number: 5,
       baseRefName: "main",
       headRefName: "feat/sample-change",
-      checkoutRefs: [
-        { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: "refs/pull/5/head" },
-        { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: "refs/heads/feat/sample-change" },
-      ],
+      checkoutRefs: [{ remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: "refs/pull/5/head" }],
       headOwnerLogin: "contributor",
       headRepositorySshUrl: "git@gitea.com:contributor/sample-repo.git",
       headRepositoryUrl: "https://gitea.com/contributor/sample-repo",
@@ -2343,6 +2340,128 @@ describe("createGiteaService", () => {
     expect(calls).toContainEqual(["api", "repos/example-user/sample-repo/pulls/5"]);
   });
 
+  it("prefixes the local branch name with the fork owner for a cross-repository checkout", () => {
+    const { service } = makeService(() => ok(""));
+
+    const localBranchName = service.buildPrLocalBranchName?.({
+      headRef: "patch-1",
+      checkoutTarget: {
+        number: 5,
+        baseRefName: "main",
+        headRefName: "patch-1",
+        headOwnerLogin: "contributor",
+        headRepositorySshUrl: null,
+        headRepositoryUrl: null,
+        isCrossRepository: true,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(localBranchName).toBe("contributor/patch-1");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the head ref name as-is for a same-repository checkout", () => {
+    const { service } = makeService(() => ok(""));
+
+    const localBranchName = service.buildPrLocalBranchName?.({
+      headRef: "patch-1",
+      checkoutTarget: {
+        number: 5,
+        baseRefName: "main",
+        headRefName: "patch-1",
+        headOwnerLogin: null,
+        headRepositorySshUrl: null,
+        headRepositoryUrl: null,
+        isCrossRepository: false,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(localBranchName).toBe("patch-1");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to a PR-number prefix when the fork owner login is not a safe branch path segment", () => {
+    const { service } = makeService(() => ok(""));
+
+    const localBranchName = service.buildPrLocalBranchName?.({
+      headRef: "patch-1",
+      checkoutTarget: {
+        number: 5,
+        baseRefName: "main",
+        headRefName: "patch-1",
+        headOwnerLogin: "../evil",
+        headRepositorySshUrl: null,
+        headRepositoryUrl: null,
+        isCrossRepository: true,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(localBranchName).toBe("pr-5/patch-1");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to a PR-number prefix when the fork owner login would produce an invalid ref", () => {
+    const { service } = makeService(() => ok(""));
+
+    const localBranchName = service.buildPrLocalBranchName?.({
+      headRef: "patch-1",
+      checkoutTarget: {
+        number: 5,
+        baseRefName: "main",
+        headRefName: "patch-1",
+        headOwnerLogin: "contributor.lock",
+        headRepositorySshUrl: null,
+        headRepositoryUrl: null,
+        isCrossRepository: true,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(localBranchName).toBe("pr-5/patch-1");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to a PR-number prefix when the fork owner login is unknown", () => {
+    const { service } = makeService(() => ok(""));
+
+    const localBranchName = service.buildPrLocalBranchName?.({
+      headRef: "patch-1",
+      checkoutTarget: {
+        number: 5,
+        baseRefName: "main",
+        headRefName: "patch-1",
+        headOwnerLogin: null,
+        headRepositorySshUrl: null,
+        headRepositoryUrl: null,
+        isCrossRepository: true,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(localBranchName).toBe("pr-5/patch-1");
+  });
+
+  it("lowercases the fork owner login for the branch prefix", () => {
+    const { service } = makeService(() => ok(""));
+
+    const localBranchName = service.buildPrLocalBranchName?.({
+      headRef: "patch-1",
+      checkoutTarget: {
+        number: 5,
+        baseRefName: "main",
+        headRefName: "patch-1",
+        headOwnerLogin: "Contributor",
+        headRepositorySshUrl: null,
+        headRepositoryUrl: null,
+        isCrossRepository: true,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(localBranchName).toBe("contributor/patch-1");
+  });
+
+  it("returns the pull head ref for default checkout refs", () => {
+    const { service } = makeService(() => ok(""));
+
+    expect(service.defaultCheckoutRefs?.({ changeRequestNumber: 5, headRef: "patch-1" })).toEqual([
+      { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: "refs/pull/5/head" },
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("creates a pull request and parses the resulting URL and index", async () => {
     const { service, calls } = makeService((args) => {
       if (args[0] === "pr" && args[1] === "create") {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/services/gitea-service.ts b/packages/server/src/services/gitea-service.ts
index 88b5caa004..281b5357d8 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/services/gitea-service.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/services/gitea-service.ts
@@ -1377,6 +1377,19 @@ function throwFirstNonTeaAuthSearchRejection(results: PromiseSettledResult<unkno
   }
 }
 
+// forgejo username pattern
+function normalizeGiteaOwnerForBranch(owner: string | null): string | null {
+  const normalized = owner?.trim().toLowerCase() ?? "";
+  if (!/^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9_.-]*$/.test(normalized)) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  // git refuses .. and .lock, trailing dot too
+  if (normalized.includes("..") || normalized.endsWith(".") || normalized.endsWith(".lock")) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return normalized;
+}
+
 export function createGiteaService(options: CreateGiteaServiceOptions = {}): ForgeService {
   const runner = options.runner ?? runTeaCommand;
   const resolveTea = createCachedCliPathResolver(options.resolveTeaPath ?? resolveTeaPath);
@@ -1997,17 +2010,31 @@ export function createGiteaService(options: CreateGiteaServiceOptions = {}): For
       return summary.headRefName;
     },
 
+    defaultCheckoutRefs({ changeRequestNumber }) {
+      return [{ remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: `refs/pull/${changeRequestNumber}/head` }];
+    },
+
+    buildPrLocalBranchName({ headRef, checkoutTarget }) {
+      if (!checkoutTarget.isCrossRepository) {
+        return headRef;
+      }
+      const owner = normalizeGiteaOwnerForBranch(checkoutTarget.headOwnerLogin);
+      // odd login, use pr-N instead
+      return `${owner ?? `pr-${checkoutTarget.number}`}/${headRef}`;
+    },
+
     async getPullRequestCheckoutTarget(
       input: GetPullRequestOptions,
     ): Promise<PullRequestCheckoutTarget> {
       const summary = await this.getPullRequest(input);
+      const fork = await resolveForkCheckoutFacts(input.cwd, summary);
       const checkoutRefs = [
         { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: `refs/pull/${summary.number}/head` },
       ];
-      if (summary.headRefName) {
+      // on a fork PR thats the base repos branch
+      if (summary.headRefName && !fork.isCrossRepository) {
         checkoutRefs.push({ remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: `refs/heads/${summary.headRefName}` });
       }
-      const fork = await resolveForkCheckoutFacts(input.cwd, summary);
       return {
         number: summary.number,
         baseRefName: summary.baseRefName,