diff --git a/packages/app/src/pages/new-session/new-session-workspace-controller.test.ts b/packages/app/src/pages/new-session/new-session-workspace-controller.test.ts
index e208faf488..d042db744e 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/pages/new-session/new-session-workspace-controller.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/pages/new-session/new-session-workspace-controller.test.ts
@@ -39,14 +39,20 @@ describe("new session workspace selection", () => {
     expect(normalizeNewSessionWorktree("main", "C:\\Repo\\", "c:/repo")).toBe("main")
   })
 
-  test("falls back to the local branch for main, create, and unknown worktrees", () => {
+  test("resolves the branch from the active location", () => {
     const branch = (worktree: string) => (worktree === "/project/feature" ? "feature" : undefined)
-    expect(resolveNewSessionBranch({ worktree: "main", local: "dev", worktreeBranch: branch })).toBe("dev")
-    expect(resolveNewSessionBranch({ worktree: "create", local: "dev", worktreeBranch: branch })).toBe("dev")
-    expect(resolveNewSessionBranch({ worktree: "/project/feature", local: "dev", worktreeBranch: branch })).toBe(
+    expect(resolveNewSessionBranch({ worktree: "main", directory: "/project/feature", worktreeBranch: branch })).toBe(
       "feature",
     )
-    expect(resolveNewSessionBranch({ worktree: "/missing", local: "dev", worktreeBranch: branch })).toBe("dev")
+    expect(
+      resolveNewSessionBranch({ worktree: "create", directory: "/project/feature", worktreeBranch: branch }),
+    ).toBe("feature")
+    expect(
+      resolveNewSessionBranch({ worktree: "/project/feature", directory: "/project", worktreeBranch: branch }),
+    ).toBe("feature")
+    expect(resolveNewSessionBranch({ worktree: "/missing", directory: "/project/feature", worktreeBranch: branch })).toBe(
+      undefined,
+    )
   })
 
   test("uses location VCS state when the project inventory is stale", () => {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/pages/new-session/new-session-workspace-controller.ts b/packages/app/src/pages/new-session/new-session-workspace-controller.ts
index 338e14dd30..f0032bb85a 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/pages/new-session/new-session-workspace-controller.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/pages/new-session/new-session-workspace-controller.ts
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ export function normalizeNewSessionWorktree(value: string, directory: string, pr
 
 export function resolveNewSessionBranch(input: {
   worktree: string
-  local?: string
+  directory: string
   worktreeBranch: (worktree: string) => string | undefined
 }) {
-  if (input.worktree === "main" || input.worktree === "create") return input.local
-  return input.worktreeBranch(input.worktree) ?? input.local
+  const directory = input.worktree === "main" || input.worktree === "create" ? input.directory : input.worktree
+  return input.worktreeBranch(directory)
 }
 
 export function resolveNewSessionGit(input: { projectVcs?: string; branch?: string }) {
@@ -95,11 +95,10 @@ export function createNewSessionWorkspaceController(input: {
     const directories = project ? [project.worktree, ...workspaceDirectories(project)] : [sdk().directory]
     directories.forEach((directory) => void data.location.vcs.sync({ directory }).catch(() => undefined))
   })
-  const localBranch = createMemo(() => data.location.vcs.info({ directory: projectRoot() })?.branch.current)
   const branch = createMemo(() =>
     resolveNewSessionBranch({
       worktree: value(),
-      local: localBranch(),
+      directory: sdk().directory,
       worktreeBranch: (worktree) => data.location.vcs.info({ directory: worktree })?.branch.current,
     }),
   )