diff --git a/crates/ide-workspace/src/recent.rs b/crates/ide-workspace/src/recent.rs
index ebb49a69f..ceff3b800 100644
--- a/crates/ide-workspace/src/recent.rs
+++ b/crates/ide-workspace/src/recent.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ pub struct RecentProject {
     pub path: ide_core::IpcPath,
     pub name: String,
     pub opened_at_ms: f64,
-    /// Current git branch when last opened, shown on the welcome screen.
+    /// Git branch shown on the welcome screen. Persisted as of last open; [`RecentProjects::list_live`]
+    /// refreshes it from `.git/HEAD` when the list is shown.
     pub branch: Option<String>,
 }
 
@@ -94,6 +95,55 @@ fn now_ms() -> f64 {
     std::time::SystemTime::now().duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH).map(|d| d.as_secs_f64() * 1000.0).unwrap_or(0.0)
 }
 
+/// The git directory for `project`: `.git/` or the path in a worktree's `.git` file (`gitdir: …`).
+fn git_dir(project: &Path) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+    let dot = project.join(".git");
+    let meta = std::fs::symlink_metadata(&dot).ok()?;
+    if meta.file_type().is_dir() {
+        return Some(dot);
+    }
+    if !meta.file_type().is_file() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let text = std::fs::read_to_string(&dot).ok()?;
+    let raw = text.lines().find_map(|line| line.strip_prefix("gitdir:"))?.trim();
+    if raw.is_empty() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let path = PathBuf::from(raw);
+    Some(if path.is_absolute() { path } else { project.join(path) })
+}
+
+/// Branch name, or a short commit when detached. `Err` when HEAD cannot be read (keep the stored value).
+fn read_head_branch(project: &Path) -> Result<Option<String>, ()> {
+    let head = std::fs::read_to_string(git_dir(project).ok_or(())?.join("HEAD")).map_err(|_| ())?;
+    let head = head.trim();
+    if head.is_empty() {
+        return Ok(None);
+    }
+    if let Some(reference) = head.strip_prefix("ref:") {
+        let reference = reference.trim();
+        if let Some(branch) = reference.strip_prefix("refs/heads/") {
+            return Ok(if branch.is_empty() { None } else { Some(branch.to_owned()) });
+        }
+        // Other symbolic refs (rare for HEAD) are not a branch name.
+        return Ok(None);
+    }
+    // Detached HEAD: object id — show a short commit, never the previous branch.
+    let short = head.get(..7).unwrap_or(head);
+    Ok(if short.is_empty() { None } else { Some(short.to_owned()) })
+}
+
+/// Overlay each entry's `branch` from `.git/HEAD` when readable; otherwise keep the stored value.
+pub fn with_live_branches(mut items: Vec<RecentProject>) -> Vec<RecentProject> {
+    for item in &mut items {
+        if let Ok(branch) = read_head_branch(item.path.as_ref()) {
+            item.branch = branch;
+        }
+    }
+    items
+}
+
 impl RecentProjects {
     pub fn load(config_dir: &Path) -> Self {
         let file = config_dir.join("recent.json");
@@ -115,6 +165,11 @@ impl RecentProjects {
         self.items.lock().clone()
     }
 
+    /// Like [`list`], but each `branch` is refreshed from that project's `.git/HEAD` when readable.
+    pub fn list_live(&self) -> Vec<RecentProject> {
+        with_live_branches(self.list())
+    }
+
     pub fn groups(&self) -> Vec<RecentProjectGroup> {
         self.groups.lock().clone()
     }
@@ -261,4 +316,45 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(recent.list()[0].name, "app");
         assert_eq!(recent.list().len(), 1);
     }
+
+    fn write_head(git_dir: &Path, contents: &str) {
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(git_dir).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(git_dir.join("HEAD"), contents).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn list_live_reads_branch_from_head_and_keeps_stored_when_unreadable() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let repo = tmp.path().join("repo");
+        write_head(&repo.join(".git"), "ref: refs/heads/feature/list-live\n");
+        let plain = tmp.path().join("plain");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&plain).unwrap();
+
+        let recent = RecentProjects::load(tmp.path().join("config").as_path());
+        recent.touch(&repo, Some("stale".into())).unwrap();
+        recent.touch(&plain, Some("kept".into())).unwrap();
+
+        let live = recent.list_live();
+        let by_path = |p: &Path| live.iter().find(|i| i.path.as_ref() == p).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(by_path(&repo).branch.as_deref(), Some("feature/list-live"));
+        assert_eq!(by_path(&plain).branch.as_deref(), Some("kept"));
+        assert_eq!(recent.list().iter().find(|i| i.path.as_ref() == repo).unwrap().branch.as_deref(), Some("stale"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn list_live_follows_worktree_gitdir_and_shows_short_detached_head() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let main = tmp.path().join("main");
+        let wt = tmp.path().join("wt");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&wt).unwrap();
+        let wt_git = main.join(".git/worktrees/wt");
+        write_head(&wt_git, "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789abcd\n");
+        std::fs::write(wt.join(".git"), "gitdir: ../main/.git/worktrees/wt\n").unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(read_head_branch(&wt).unwrap().as_deref(), Some("abcdefg"));
+
+        let recent = RecentProjects::load(tmp.path().join("config").as_path());
+        recent.touch(&wt, Some("old-branch".into())).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(recent.list_live()[0].branch.as_deref(), Some("abcdefg"));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/commands/app.rs b/src-tauri/src/commands/app.rs
index 8da7c5513..4fd3a506f 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/commands/app.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/commands/app.rs
@@ -40,9 +40,15 @@ pub fn app_info(state: State<'_, AppState>) -> AppInfo {
 
 #[tauri::command]
 #[specta::specta]
-pub fn recent_projects(state: State<'_, AppState>) -> Vec<RecentProject> {
+pub async fn recent_projects(app: tauri::AppHandle) -> Vec<RecentProject> {
+    let state = app.state::<AppState>();
     state.note_ipc();
-    state.recent.list()
+    let items = state.recent.list();
+    // Reading every project's `.git/HEAD` may touch slow disks: off the async runtime.
+    match tauri::async_runtime::spawn_blocking(move || ide_workspace::recent::with_live_branches(items)).await {
+        Ok(items) => items,
+        Err(_) => state.recent.list(),
+    }
 }
 
 #[tauri::command]