diff --git a/packages/app/src/git/policy.test.ts b/packages/app/src/git/policy.test.ts
index efbd61efa6..e5ea1ee509 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/git/policy.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/git/policy.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@ import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { CheckoutPrStatusSchema } from "@getpaseo/protocol/messages";
 import { i18n } from "@/i18n/i18next";
 
-import { actionsWithoutPrimary, buildGitActions, type BuildGitActionsInput } from "./policy";
+import {
+  actionsWithoutPrimary,
+  buildGitActions,
+  isCurrentBranchBase,
+  type BuildGitActionsInput,
+} from "./policy";
 import { deriveMergeCapability, type ForgeSpecificStatusFacts } from "./merge-capability";
 
 type GithubMergeFactsFixture = ForgeSpecificStatusFacts & {
@@ -208,6 +213,28 @@ describe("git-actions-policy", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("distinguishes exact local and remote base refs and retains legacy names", () => {
+    expect(isCurrentBranchBase("release", "refs/heads/release")).toBe(true);
+    expect(isCurrentBranchBase("release", "refs/remotes/origin/release")).toBe(false);
+    expect(isCurrentBranchBase("release", "release")).toBe(true);
+    expect(isCurrentBranchBase("release", "origin/release")).toBe(true);
+    expect(isCurrentBranchBase(null, "refs/heads/release")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("offers update from the same-named remote base when it is ahead", () => {
+    const actions = buildGitActions(
+      createInput({
+        isPaseoOwnedWorktree: true,
+        isOnBaseBranch: isCurrentBranchBase("release", "refs/remotes/origin/release"),
+        baseRefLabel: "release",
+        behindBaseCount: 1,
+        aheadOfOrigin: null,
+        behindOfOrigin: null,
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(actions.primary?.id).toBe("merge-from-base");
+  });
+
   it("drops a promoted merge action from the remaining menu actions", () => {
     const actions = buildGitActions(
       createInput({
diff --git a/packages/app/src/git/policy.ts b/packages/app/src/git/policy.ts
index 71d63eae37..7dcd55d64e 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/git/policy.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/git/policy.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,17 @@ interface GitActionRuntimeState {
   handler: () => void;
 }
 
+export function isCurrentBranchBase(
+  currentBranch: string | null | undefined,
+  baseRef: string | null | undefined,
+): boolean {
+  if (!currentBranch || !baseRef) return false;
+  if (baseRef.startsWith("refs/heads/")) return baseRef === `refs/heads/${currentBranch}`;
+  if (baseRef.startsWith("refs/")) return false;
+  // Older hosts send a display name, which cannot distinguish a local ref from its remote.
+  return currentBranch === baseRef.replace(/^origin\//, "");
+}
+
 export interface BuildGitActionsInput {
   isGit: boolean;
   githubFeaturesEnabled: boolean;
diff --git a/packages/app/src/git/use-actions.tsx b/packages/app/src/git/use-actions.tsx
index 05e65a21a5..250581598a 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/git/use-actions.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/git/use-actions.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { type CheckoutStatusPayload, useCheckoutStatusQuery } from "@/git/use-st
 import { type CheckoutPrStatusPayload, useCheckoutPrStatusQuery } from "@/git/use-pr-status-query";
 import {
   buildGitActions,
+  isCurrentBranchBase,
   narrowPullRequestState,
   type BuildGitActionsInput,
   type GitAction,
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ interface DeriveGitActionsStateArgs {
   hasUncommittedChanges: boolean;
   postShipArchiveSuggested: boolean;
   isStatusLoading: boolean;
-  baseRefLabel: string;
+  baseRef: string | undefined;
 }
 
 interface DerivedGitActionsState {
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ function deriveGitActionsState(args: DeriveGitActionsStateArgs): DerivedGitActio
     hasUncommittedChanges,
     postShipArchiveSuggested,
     isStatusLoading,
-    baseRefLabel,
+    baseRef,
   } = args;
   const actionsDisabled = !isGit || Boolean(status?.error) || isStatusLoading;
   const isPaseoOwnedWorktree = gitStatus?.isPaseoOwnedWorktree ?? false;
@@ -178,7 +179,7 @@ function deriveGitActionsState(args: DeriveGitActionsStateArgs): DerivedGitActio
     hasPullRequest: Boolean(prStatus?.url),
     hasRemote: gitStatus?.hasRemote ?? false,
     isPaseoOwnedWorktree,
-    isOnBaseBranch: gitStatus?.currentBranch === baseRefLabel,
+    isOnBaseBranch: isCurrentBranchBase(gitStatus?.currentBranch, baseRef),
     shouldPromoteArchive: computeShouldPromoteArchive({
       hasUncommittedChanges,
       postShipArchiveSuggested,
@@ -653,7 +654,7 @@ export function useGitActions({ serverId, cwd, icons }: UseGitActionsInput): Use
     hasUncommittedChanges,
     postShipArchiveSuggested,
     isStatusLoading,
-    baseRefLabel,
+    baseRef,
   });
   const {
     actionsDisabled,