diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/worktree-core.posix.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/worktree-core.posix.test.ts
index 7a7a342732..4e91932815 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/worktree-core.posix.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/worktree-core.posix.test.ts
@@ -806,6 +806,25 @@ describe.skipIf(isPlatform("win32"))("worktree-core POSIX-only", () => {
     test("checks out the authoritative GitLab MR ref before a same-named origin branch", async () => {
       const { tempDir, repoDir, paseoHome } = createGitLabMrWithConflictingOriginBranchRepo();
       cleanupPaths.push(tempDir);
+      const sourceRemote = path.join(tempDir, "fork.git");
+      execFileSync("git", ["clone", "--bare", path.join(tempDir, "origin.git"), sourceRemote], {
+        stdio: "pipe",
+      });
+      const mrHead = execFileSync(
+        "git",
+        [
+          `--git-dir=${path.join(tempDir, "origin.git")}`,
+          "rev-parse",
+          "refs/merge-requests/14/head",
+        ],
+        { encoding: "utf8" },
+      ).trim();
+      execFileSync("git", [
+        `--git-dir=${sourceRemote}`,
+        "update-ref",
+        "refs/heads/feature/gitlab-mr",
+        mrHead,
+      ]);
       const gitlab = createGitLabService({
         resolveGlabPath: async () => "/usr/bin/glab",
         resolveRemoteUrl: async () => "git@gitlab.example.com:example-group/example-project.git",
@@ -820,12 +839,23 @@ describe.skipIf(isPlatform("win32"))("worktree-core POSIX-only", () => {
                 state: "opened",
                 source_branch: "feature/gitlab-mr",
                 target_branch: "main",
+                author: { username: "mr-author" },
                 source_project_id: 202,
                 target_project_id: 101,
               }),
               stderr: "",
             };
           }
+          if (args[0] === "api" && args[1] === "projects/202") {
+            return {
+              stdout: JSON.stringify({
+                namespace: { full_path: "team" },
+                ssh_url_to_repo: sourceRemote,
+                http_url_to_repo: "https://gitlab.example.com/team/fork.git",
+              }),
+              stderr: "",
+            };
+          }
           throw new Error(`unexpected glab args: ${args.join(" ")}`);
         },
       });
@@ -843,11 +873,17 @@ describe.skipIf(isPlatform("win32"))("worktree-core POSIX-only", () => {
       expect(result.intent).toMatchObject({
         kind: "checkout-change-request",
         forge: "gitlab",
+        headRepository: "team/fork",
+        localBranchName: "team/feature/gitlab-mr",
         checkoutRefs: [
           { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: "refs/merge-requests/14/head" },
           { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: "refs/heads/feature/gitlab-mr" },
         ],
       });
+      expect(result.worktree.branchName).toBe("team/feature/gitlab-mr");
+      expect(getGitConfigValue(result.worktree.worktreePath, "remote.paseo-pr-14.url")).toBe(
+        sourceRemote,
+      );
       expect(readFileSync(path.join(result.worktree.worktreePath, "README.md"), "utf8")).toBe(
         "authoritative merge request head\n",
       );
diff --git a/packages/server/src/services/gitlab-service.test.ts b/packages/server/src/services/gitlab-service.test.ts
index af1c9b9db7..14877d9708 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/services/gitlab-service.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/services/gitlab-service.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 
+import { resolveWorktreeCreationIntent } from "../server/resolve-worktree-creation-intent.js";
+
 import type { PullRequestCommandStatus } from "./forge-service.js";
 import { GITLAB_ACTIVE_PIPELINE_STATUS_SET } from "@getpaseo/protocol/gitlab-pipeline";
 import type { GitLabStatusFacts } from "./gitlab-facts.js";
@@ -484,36 +486,70 @@ describe("createGitLabService", () => {
         checkoutTarget: target!,
       }),
     ).toBe("release/v0.4.0");
-    expect(calls[0]).toEqual(["mr", "view", "14", "-F", "json"]);
+    expect(calls).toEqual([["mr", "view", "14", "-F", "json"]]);
   });
 
-  it("marks fork merge request checkout targets as cross-repository", async () => {
-    const { service } = makeService(() =>
-      ok(
-        JSON.stringify({
-          ...OPEN_MR,
-          source_project_id: 202,
-          target_project_id: 101,
-          author: { username: "contributor" },
-        }),
-      ),
-    );
+  it.each(["contributor", "team"])(
+    "resolves the source project rather than the MR author for %s forks",
+    async (owner) => {
+      const { service, calls } = makeService((args) => {
+        if (args[0] === "api")
+          return ok(
+            JSON.stringify({
+              namespace: { full_path: owner },
+              ssh_url_to_repo: `git@gitlab.example.com:${owner}/fork.git`,
+              http_url_to_repo: `https://gitlab.example.com/${owner}/fork.git`,
+            }),
+          );
+        return ok(
+          JSON.stringify({ ...OPEN_MR, source_project_id: 202, author: { username: "mr-author" } }),
+        );
+      });
+      const intent = await resolveWorktreeCreationIntent(
+        {
+          action: "checkout",
+          checkoutSource: { kind: "change_request", forge: "gitlab", number: 14 },
+        },
+        "/repo",
+        { forge: "gitlab", forgeService: service, resolveDefaultBranch: async () => "main" },
+      );
+      expect(intent).toMatchObject({
+        kind: "checkout-change-request",
+        headRepositoryOwner: owner,
+        headRepository: `${owner}/fork`,
+        pushRemoteUrl: `git@gitlab.example.com:${owner}/fork.git`,
+        localBranchName: `${owner}/release/v0.4.0`,
+        checkoutRefs: [
+          { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: "refs/merge-requests/14/head" },
+          { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: "refs/heads/release/v0.4.0" },
+        ],
+      });
+      expect(calls).toEqual([
+        ["mr", "view", "14", "-F", "json"],
+        ["api", "projects/202"],
+      ]);
+    },
+  );
 
-    const target = await service.getPullRequestCheckoutTarget?.({ cwd: "/repo", number: 14 });
+  it("keeps the target MR ref usable when its source project is inaccessible", async () => {
+    const { service } = makeService((args) => {
+      if (args[0] === "api") throw { code: 1, stderr: "404 Project Not Found" };
+      return ok(JSON.stringify({ ...OPEN_MR, source_project_id: 202 }));
+    });
+    const target = await service.getPullRequestCheckoutTarget!({ cwd: "/repo", number: 14 });
     expect(target).toMatchObject({
-      number: 14,
-      headRefName: "release/v0.4.0",
       isCrossRepository: true,
-      headOwnerLogin: "contributor",
+      headOwnerLogin: null,
       headRepositorySshUrl: null,
       headRepositoryUrl: null,
+      checkoutRefs: [
+        { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: "refs/merge-requests/14/head" },
+        { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: "refs/heads/release/v0.4.0" },
+      ],
     });
     expect(
-      service.buildPrLocalBranchName?.({
-        headRef: target!.headRefName,
-        checkoutTarget: target!,
-      }),
-    ).toBe("contributor/release/v0.4.0");
+      service.buildPrLocalBranchName!({ headRef: target.headRefName, checkoutTarget: target }),
+    ).toBe("pr-14/release/v0.4.0");
   });
 
   it("creates a merge request and parses the URL and iid from glab output", async () => {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/services/gitlab-service.ts b/packages/server/src/services/gitlab-service.ts
index da55e60b48..c7df5e239e 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/services/gitlab-service.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/services/gitlab-service.ts
@@ -145,14 +145,11 @@ const GitLabPipelineDetailsSchema = z
   })
   .passthrough();
 
-const GitLabAuthorSchema = z
-  .object({
-    username: z.string().optional(),
-    name: z.string().optional(),
-    web_url: z.string().nullable().optional(),
-    avatar_url: z.string().nullable().optional(),
-  })
-  .passthrough();
+const GitLabSourceProjectSchema = z.object({
+  namespace: z.object({ full_path: z.string() }),
+  ssh_url_to_repo: z.string(),
+  http_url_to_repo: z.string(),
+});
 
 const GitLabMergeRequestSchema = z
   .object({
@@ -165,7 +162,6 @@ const GitLabMergeRequestSchema = z
     sha: z.string().optional(),
     source_project_id: z.number().nullable().optional(),
     target_project_id: z.number().nullable().optional(),
-    author: GitLabAuthorSchema.nullable().optional(),
     draft: z.boolean().optional(),
     work_in_progress: z.boolean().optional(),
     has_conflicts: z.boolean().optional(),
@@ -197,7 +193,14 @@ const GitLabIssueSchema = z
   })
   .passthrough();
 
-const GitLabNoteAuthorSchema = GitLabAuthorSchema;
+const GitLabNoteAuthorSchema = z
+  .object({
+    username: z.string().optional(),
+    name: z.string().optional(),
+    web_url: z.string().nullable().optional(),
+    avatar_url: z.string().nullable().optional(),
+  })
+  .passthrough();
 
 const GitLabNoteLineRangeEndpointSchema = z
   .object({
@@ -953,6 +956,16 @@ export function createGitLabService(options: CreateGitLabServiceOptions = {}): F
     return runJson(["mr", "view", ref, "-F", "json"], { cwd }, GitLabMergeRequestSchema);
   }
 
+  async function loadSourceProject(cwd: string, projectId: number) {
+    try {
+      return await runJson(["api", `projects/${projectId}`], { cwd }, GitLabSourceProjectSchema);
+    } catch (error) {
+      // The target's MR ref remains fetchable even if the source project is private.
+      if (error instanceof GlabCommandError && /\b404\b/.test(error.stderr)) return null;
+      throw error;
+    }
+  }
+
   async function listMergeRequestsBySourceBranch(
     cwd: string,
     sourceBranch: string,
@@ -1201,8 +1214,9 @@ export function createGitLabService(options: CreateGitLabServiceOptions = {}): F
         mr.target_project_id !== undefined &&
         mr.target_project_id !== null &&
         mr.source_project_id !== mr.target_project_id;
-      const headOwnerLogin =
-        isCrossRepository && mr.author?.username?.trim() ? mr.author.username.trim() : null;
+      const sourceProject = isCrossRepository
+        ? await loadSourceProject(input.cwd, mr.source_project_id!)
+        : null;
       return {
         number: mr.iid,
         baseRefName: mr.target_branch,
@@ -1211,9 +1225,9 @@ export function createGitLabService(options: CreateGitLabServiceOptions = {}): F
           { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: `refs/merge-requests/${mr.iid}/head` },
           { remoteName: "origin", remoteRef: `refs/heads/${mr.source_branch}` },
         ],
-        headOwnerLogin,
-        headRepositorySshUrl: null,
-        headRepositoryUrl: null,
+        headOwnerLogin: sourceProject?.namespace.full_path ?? null,
+        headRepositorySshUrl: sourceProject?.ssh_url_to_repo ?? null,
+        headRepositoryUrl: sourceProject?.http_url_to_repo ?? null,
         isCrossRepository,
         headRefKind: "branch",
       };