diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileExplorerWatch.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileExplorerWatch.test.ts
index 3ecd5c74bb2..2d0c9290074 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileExplorerWatch.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileExplorerWatch.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
-import { getExternalFileChangeRelativePath } from './useFileExplorerWatch'
+import type { FsChangedPayload } from '../../../../shared/types'
+import {
+  getExternalFileChangeRelativePath,
+  payloadRequiresDeferredTreeRefresh
+} from './useFileExplorerWatch'
 
 describe('getExternalFileChangeRelativePath', () => {
   it('returns a worktree-relative file path for external file updates', () => {
@@ -57,3 +61,36 @@ describe('getExternalFileChangeRelativePath', () => {
     )
   })
 })
+
+describe('payloadRequiresDeferredTreeRefresh', () => {
+  function payload(events: FsChangedPayload['events'], worktreePath = '/repo'): FsChangedPayload {
+    return { worktreePath, events }
+  }
+
+  it('does not require a full tree refresh for replayable deferred changes', () => {
+    const changes = payload([
+      { kind: 'create', absolutePath: '/repo/src/new.ts', isDirectory: false },
+      { kind: 'update', absolutePath: '/repo/src', isDirectory: true },
+      { kind: 'delete', absolutePath: '/repo/src/old.ts' }
+    ])
+
+    expect(payloadRequiresDeferredTreeRefresh(changes, '/repo')).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('requires a full tree refresh for unreplayable rename payloads in the current worktree', () => {
+    const changes = payload([
+      { kind: 'rename', absolutePath: '/repo/src/old.ts', isDirectory: false }
+    ])
+
+    expect(payloadRequiresDeferredTreeRefresh(changes, '/repo')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('ignores stale deferred rename payloads from a previous worktree', () => {
+    const changes = payload(
+      [{ kind: 'rename', absolutePath: '/other/src/old.ts', isDirectory: false }],
+      '/other'
+    )
+
+    expect(payloadRequiresDeferredTreeRefresh(changes, '/repo')).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileExplorerWatch.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileExplorerWatch.ts
index 1823dae0280..22c9dbd0205 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileExplorerWatch.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileExplorerWatch.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,17 @@ export function getExternalFileChangeRelativePath(
   return normalizeRelativePath(normalizedAbsolutePath.slice(worktreePrefix.length))
 }
 
+export function payloadRequiresDeferredTreeRefresh(
+  payload: FsChangedPayload,
+  currentWorktreePath: string
+): boolean {
+  if (normalizeAbsolutePath(payload.worktreePath) !== normalizeAbsolutePath(currentWorktreePath)) {
+    return false
+  }
+
+  return payload.events.some((evt) => evt.kind === 'rename')
+}
+
 /**
  * Reconciles File Explorer state on filesystem events for the active worktree.
  *
@@ -278,6 +289,9 @@ export function useFileExplorerWatch({
       deferredRef.current.length > 0
     ) {
       const deferred = deferredRef.current.splice(0)
+      const requiresFullRefresh = worktreePath
+        ? deferred.some((payload) => payloadRequiresDeferredTreeRefresh(payload, worktreePath))
+        : false
       // Why: replay every deferred payload through `processPayload` so the
       // tree cache reconciles to disk state after inline input or drag ends
       // (design §6.2). Editor-tab reloads are handled independently by
@@ -288,11 +302,10 @@ export function useFileExplorerWatch({
           processPayloadRef.current(payload)
         }
       }
-      // Why: also trigger a tree refresh as a safety net. Deferred events may
-      // have been coalesced by the watcher or become stale during the defer
-      // window, and a full refresh guarantees the explorer state converges on
-      // disk reality even if individual event replay misses a subtree.
-      if (worktreePath) {
+      // Why: create/delete/update payloads replay into targeted refreshDir
+      // calls above. Only event kinds this reconciler cannot apply safely
+      // should pay the full expanded-tree refresh cost after a deferred flush.
+      if (requiresFullRefresh) {
         void refreshTreeRef.current()
       }
     }