diff --git a/src/main/runtime/repo-worktree-row-resolution.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/repo-worktree-row-resolution.test.ts
index be50f5678a7..0e2ee14e980 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/repo-worktree-row-resolution.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/repo-worktree-row-resolution.test.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,39 @@ function createDeps(repos: Repo[]): RepoWorktreeRowDeps & {
   return { store, metaById, scanRepo, listFolderWorkspaces }
 }
 
+describe('path-equal worktree row collapse', () => {
+  it('keeps one row and prefers the git branch when the same path is listed twice', async () => {
+    const owner = repo('repo', '/home/me/repo')
+    const deps = createDeps([owner])
+    deps.scanRepo.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      ok: true,
+      worktrees: [
+        {
+          path: '/home/me/repo',
+          head: '',
+          branch: '',
+          isBare: false,
+          isMainWorktree: true
+        },
+        {
+          path: '/home/me/./repo',
+          head: 'abc123',
+          branch: 'refs/heads/master',
+          isBare: false,
+          isMainWorktree: true
+        }
+      ]
+    })
+
+    const rows = await resolveRepoWorktreeRows(deps, owner, deps.metaById, new Map())
+    expect(rows).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(rows[0]).toMatchObject({
+      branch: 'refs/heads/master',
+      path: '/home/me/./repo'
+    })
+  })
+})
+
 describe('host-qualified scoped worktree resolution', () => {
   it('scans only the selected local or SSH owner when repo ids and paths collide', async () => {
     const owners = [
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/repo-worktree-row-resolution.ts b/src/main/runtime/repo-worktree-row-resolution.ts
index b65fd9295f6..c64c5aff965 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/repo-worktree-row-resolution.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/repo-worktree-row-resolution.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import type { WorktreeMeta } from '../../shared/worktree/meta-types'
 import type { ProjectExecutionRuntimeResolution } from '../../shared/project-execution-runtime'
 import type { Store } from '../persistence'
 import { areWorktreePathsEqual, mergeWorktree } from '../ipc/worktree-logic'
+import { dedupeWorktreesByPath } from '../ipc/worktree-path-comparison'
 import { pruneLineageForMissingRepoWorktrees } from '../worktree-lineage-pruning'
 import { getRepoOwnedWorktreeMeta } from '../worktree-metadata-ownership'
 import { resolveLocalProjectRuntimesForRepos } from '../project-runtime-git-options'
@@ -121,7 +122,12 @@ export async function resolveRepoWorktreeRows(
     RESOLVED_WORKTREE_REPO_TIMEOUT_MS,
     null
   )) ?? { ok: false, worktrees: listStoredWorktreeRowsForRepo(store, repo, repoOwnerCount) }
-  const gitWorktrees = scan.worktrees
+  const gitWorktrees = dedupeWorktreesByPath(
+    // Why: keep the git-scanned branch over a stored empty-branch clone of the same path (#15526).
+    [...scan.worktrees].sort(
+      (left, right) => Number(Boolean(right.branch)) - Number(Boolean(left.branch))
+    )
+  )
   if (scan.ok) {
     pruneLineageForMissingRepoWorktrees(store, repo, gitWorktrees)
   }