diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/workspace-create-form.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/workspace-create-form.tsx
index f25b962..7d62a00 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/workspace-create-form.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/workspace-create-form.tsx
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from "react";
 import { Icon } from "./icon";
 import { listProjects } from "../api/projects";
-import { listRepositories, listRepositoryBranches } from "../api/git_repositories";
+import { listRepositories } from "../api/git_repositories";
 import { createWorkspaceTopLevel } from "../api/workspaces";
+import { useGitRepo } from "../hooks/use-git-repo";
 import type { ProjectWithRepos } from "../types";
 import type { GitRepository } from "../api/git_repositories";
 
@@ -29,17 +30,36 @@ export function WorkspaceCreateForm({
 
 	const [projects, setProjects] = useState<ProjectWithRepos[]>([]);
 	const [repos, setRepos] = useState<GitRepository[]>([]);
-	const [branches, setBranches] = useState<string[]>([]);
-	const [selectedProject, setSelectedProject] = useState(defaultProjectId ?? "");
+	const [selectedProject, setSelectedProject] = useState(
+		defaultProjectId ?? "",
+	);
 	const [selectedRepo, setSelectedRepo] = useState(defaultRepoId ?? "");
 	const [selectedBranch, setSelectedBranch] = useState("");
 	const [newBranchName, setNewBranchName] = useState("");
 	const [isNewBranch, setIsNewBranch] = useState(false);
 	const [name, setName] = useState("");
 	const [submitting, setSubmitting] = useState(false);
-	const [fetching, setFetching] = useState(!isContextual);
+	const [fetchingProjects, setFetchingProjects] = useState(!isContextual);
 	const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
+	/* Git repo hook handles branch fetching, loading, errors */
+	const git = useGitRepo(
+		selectedProject || undefined,
+		selectedRepo || undefined,
+	);
+
+	/* Sync local branch state with hook data */
+	useEffect(() => {
+		if (git.branches.length > 0 && !selectedBranch) {
+			const preferred =
+				git.defaultBranch && git.branches.includes(git.defaultBranch)
+					? git.defaultBranch
+					: git.branches[0];
+			setSelectedBranch(preferred);
+			setIsNewBranch(false);
+		}
+	}, [git.branches, git.defaultBranch, selectedBranch]);
+
 	/* ── Load projects (standalone mode only) ── */
 	const loadProjects = useCallback(async () => {
 		if (isContextual) return;
@@ -52,7 +72,7 @@ export function WorkspaceCreateForm({
 		} catch {
 			setError("Failed to load projects");
 		} finally {
-			setFetching(false);
+			setFetchingProjects(false);
 		}
 	}, [isContextual, defaultProjectId]);
 
@@ -81,42 +101,15 @@ export function WorkspaceCreateForm({
 		void loadRepos();
 	}, [selectedProject, defaultRepoId]);
 
-	/* ── Load branches when repo changes ── */
-	useEffect(() => {
-		if (!selectedProject || !selectedRepo) {
-			setBranches([]);
-			setSelectedBranch("");
-			setIsNewBranch(false);
-			return;
-		}
-		const loadBranches = async () => {
-			try {
-				const data = await listRepositoryBranches(selectedProject, selectedRepo);
-				const branchNames = data.branches.map((b) => b.name);
-				setBranches(branchNames);
-				if (branchNames.length >= 1) {
-					// Prefer default branch, else first branch
-					const preferred = data.default_branch && branchNames.includes(data.default_branch)
-						? data.default_branch
-						: branchNames[0];
-					setSelectedBranch(preferred);
-					setIsNewBranch(false);
-				}
-			} catch {
-				// Fallback to free-text branch input
-				setBranches([]);
-				setIsNewBranch(true);
-				setSelectedBranch("__new__");
-			}
-		};
-		void loadBranches();
-	}, [selectedProject, selectedRepo]);
-
 	const handleBranchChange = (value: string) => {
 		if (value === "__new__") {
 			setIsNewBranch(true);
 			setSelectedBranch("__new__");
 			setNewBranchName("");
+		} else if (value === "__manual__") {
+			setIsNewBranch(true);
+			setSelectedBranch("__manual__");
+			setNewBranchName("");
 		} else {
 			setIsNewBranch(false);
 			setSelectedBranch(value);
@@ -156,7 +149,10 @@ export function WorkspaceCreateForm({
 		}
 	};
 
-	if (fetching) {
+	/* Show single combined error */
+	const displayError = error || git.error;
+
+	if (fetchingProjects) {
 		return (
 			<div className="card workspace-create-inline">
 				<p className="muted">Loading projects...</p>
@@ -164,6 +160,9 @@ export function WorkspaceCreateForm({
 		);
 	}
 
+	const branchSelectDisabled =
+		!selectedRepo || submitting || (git.loading && git.branches.length === 0);
+
 	return (
 		<div className="card workspace-create-inline">
 			<h3>
@@ -176,7 +175,10 @@ export function WorkspaceCreateForm({
 						<label>Project</label>
 						<select
 							value={selectedProject}
-							onChange={(e) => setSelectedProject(e.target.value)}
+							onChange={(e) => {
+								setSelectedProject(e.target.value);
+								setSelectedBranch("");
+							}}
 							required
 						>
 							<option value="">Select project...</option>
@@ -195,7 +197,10 @@ export function WorkspaceCreateForm({
 						<label>Repository</label>
 						<select
 							value={selectedRepo}
-							onChange={(e) => setSelectedRepo(e.target.value)}
+							onChange={(e) => {
+								setSelectedRepo(e.target.value);
+								setSelectedBranch("");
+							}}
 							required
 							disabled={!selectedProject || repos.length === 0}
 						>
@@ -231,53 +236,52 @@ export function WorkspaceCreateForm({
 					<label>
 						<Icon name="branch" size="sm" /> Branch
 					</label>
-					{branches.length > 0 ? (
-						<>
-							<select
-								value={selectedBranch}
-								onChange={(e) => handleBranchChange(e.target.value)}
-								required
-								disabled={!selectedRepo || submitting}
-							>
-								<option value="">Select branch...</option>
-								{branches.map((b) => (
-									<option key={b} value={b}>
-										{b}
-									</option>
-								))}
-								<option value="__new__">+ Create new branch...</option>
-							</select>
-							{isNewBranch && (
-								<input
-									type="text"
-									value={newBranchName}
-									onChange={(e) => setNewBranchName(e.target.value)}
-									placeholder="new-branch-name"
-									required
-									style={{ marginTop: "0.5rem" }}
-									disabled={submitting}
-								/>
-							)}
-						</>
-					) : (
+					<select
+						value={selectedBranch}
+						onChange={(e) => handleBranchChange(e.target.value)}
+						required
+						disabled={branchSelectDisabled}
+					>
+						<option value="">
+							{git.loading && git.branches.length === 0
+								? "Loading branches..."
+								: !selectedRepo
+									? "Select a repository first"
+									: "Select branch..."}
+						</option>
+
+						{git.branches.map((b) => (
+							<option key={b} value={b}>
+								{b}
+								{b === git.defaultBranch ? " (default)" : ""}
+							</option>
+						))}
+
+						<option value="__new__">+ Create new branch...</option>
+
+						{/* If branch fetch failed, offer manual entry */}
+						{git.error && git.branches.length === 0 && (
+							<option value="__manual__">✎ Enter branch name manually...</option>
+						)}
+					</select>
+
+					{/* New branch text input */}
+					{isNewBranch && (
 						<input
 							type="text"
-							value={isNewBranch ? newBranchName : selectedBranch}
-							onChange={(e) => {
-								setIsNewBranch(true);
-								setNewBranchName(e.target.value);
-								setSelectedBranch("__new__");
-							}}
-							placeholder="main"
+							value={newBranchName}
+							onChange={(e) => setNewBranchName(e.target.value)}
+							placeholder="new-branch-name"
 							required
-							disabled={!selectedRepo || submitting}
+							style={{ marginTop: "0.5rem" }}
+							disabled={submitting}
 						/>
 					)}
 				</div>
 
-				{error && (
+				{displayError && (
 					<div className="form-error" style={{ gridColumn: "1 / -1" }}>
-						{error}
+						{displayError}
 					</div>
 				)}
 
diff --git a/apps/web/src/hooks/use-git-repo.ts b/apps/web/src/hooks/use-git-repo.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e24900c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/hooks/use-git-repo.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,267 @@
+/** Unified hook for git repository operations.
+ *
+ * Centralizes branch fetching, status, history, and git actions
+ * so components don't duplicate this logic.
+ */
+
+import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from "react";
+import {
+	listRepositoryBranches,
+	getRepositoryStatus,
+	getRepositoryHistory,
+	getCommitDetail,
+	commitChanges,
+	pushRepository,
+	pullRepository,
+	fetchRepository,
+	checkoutBranch,
+	createBranch,
+	deleteBranch,
+	mergeBranches,
+	type Branch,
+	type CommitHistoryResponse,
+	type CommitDetail,
+} from "../api/git_repositories";
+
+export interface GitStatus {
+	branch: string;
+	modified: string[];
+	added: string[];
+	deleted: string[];
+	untracked: string[];
+	renamed: string[];
+	ahead: number;
+	behind: number;
+}
+
+export interface UseGitRepoResult {
+	/** Available branch names. */
+	branches: string[];
+	/** The repo's default branch. */
+	defaultBranch: string;
+	/** Current working-directory status. */
+	status: GitStatus | null;
+	/** Commit history. */
+	history: CommitHistoryResponse | null;
+	/** Selected commit detail. */
+	commitDetail: CommitDetail | null;
+	/** True while any async operation is in flight. */
+	loading: boolean;
+	/** Error message from the last failed operation. */
+	error: string | null;
+	/** Refresh branches list. */
+	refreshBranches: () => Promise<void>;
+	/** Refresh working-directory status. */
+	refreshStatus: () => Promise<void>;
+	/** Refresh commit history. */
+	refreshHistory: (branch?: string, limit?: number) => Promise<void>;
+	/** Fetch a single commit's details. */
+	loadCommitDetail: (hash: string) => Promise<void>;
+	/** Stage + commit changes. */
+	commit: (message: string, files?: string[]) => Promise<void>;
+	/** Push current branch (or named branch) to remote. */
+	push: (branch?: string) => Promise<void>;
+	/** Pull from remote. */
+	pull: (branch?: string) => Promise<void>;
+	/** Fetch from remote. */
+	fetch: () => Promise<void>;
+	/** Checkout an existing branch. */
+	checkout: (branch: string) => Promise<void>;
+	/** Create and checkout a new branch. */
+	createBranch: (name: string, baseBranch?: string) => Promise<void>;
+	/** Delete a branch. */
+	deleteBranch: (name: string, force?: boolean) => Promise<void>;
+	/** Merge source into current (or target) branch. */
+	merge: (sourceBranch: string, targetBranch?: string, message?: string) => Promise<void>;
+	/** Clear the current error. */
+	clearError: () => void;
+}
+
+export function useGitRepo(
+	projectId: string | undefined,
+	repoId: string | undefined,
+): UseGitRepoResult {
+	const [branches, setBranches] = useState<string[]>([]);
+	const [defaultBranch, setDefaultBranch] = useState("");
+	const [status, setStatus] = useState<GitStatus | null>(null);
+	const [history, setHistory] = useState<CommitHistoryResponse | null>(null);
+	const [commitDetail, setCommitDetail] = useState<CommitDetail | null>(null);
+	const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
+	const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+
+	const withLoading = useCallback(
+		async <T,>(fn: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> => {
+			setLoading(true);
+			setError(null);
+			try {
+				return await fn();
+			} catch (err) {
+				const msg = err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Git operation failed";
+				setError(msg);
+				throw err;
+			} finally {
+				setLoading(false);
+			}
+		},
+		[],
+	);
+
+	const refreshBranches = useCallback(async () => {
+		if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+		const data = await withLoading(() =>
+			listRepositoryBranches(projectId, repoId),
+		);
+		setBranches(data.branches.map((b: Branch) => b.name));
+		setDefaultBranch(data.default_branch ?? "");
+	}, [projectId, repoId, withLoading]);
+
+	const refreshStatus = useCallback(async () => {
+		if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+		const data = await withLoading(() =>
+			getRepositoryStatus(projectId, repoId),
+		);
+		setStatus({
+			branch: data.branch,
+			modified: data.modified,
+			added: data.added,
+			deleted: data.deleted,
+			untracked: data.untracked,
+			renamed: data.renamed ?? [],
+			ahead: data.ahead,
+			behind: data.behind,
+		});
+	}, [projectId, repoId, withLoading]);
+
+	const refreshHistory = useCallback(
+		async (branch?: string, limit = 50) => {
+			if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+			const data = await withLoading(() =>
+				getRepositoryHistory(projectId, repoId, branch, limit),
+			);
+			setHistory(data);
+		},
+		[projectId, repoId, withLoading],
+	);
+
+	const loadCommitDetail = useCallback(
+		async (hash: string) => {
+			if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+			const data = await withLoading(() =>
+				getCommitDetail(projectId, repoId, hash),
+			);
+			setCommitDetail(data);
+		},
+		[projectId, repoId, withLoading],
+	);
+
+	const commit = useCallback(
+		async (message: string, files?: string[]) => {
+			if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+			await withLoading(() =>
+				commitChanges(projectId, repoId, message, files),
+			);
+			await refreshStatus();
+		},
+		[projectId, repoId, withLoading, refreshStatus],
+	);
+
+	const push = useCallback(
+		async (branch?: string) => {
+			if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+			await withLoading(() => pushRepository(projectId, repoId, branch));
+			await refreshStatus();
+		},
+		[projectId, repoId, withLoading, refreshStatus],
+	);
+
+	const pull = useCallback(
+		async (branch?: string) => {
+			if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+			await withLoading(() => pullRepository(projectId, repoId, branch));
+			await refreshStatus();
+		},
+		[projectId, repoId, withLoading, refreshStatus],
+	);
+
+	const fetch = useCallback(async () => {
+		if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+		await withLoading(() => fetchRepository(projectId, repoId));
+		await refreshStatus();
+	}, [projectId, repoId, withLoading, refreshStatus]);
+
+	const checkout = useCallback(
+		async (branch: string) => {
+			if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+			await withLoading(() => checkoutBranch(projectId, repoId, branch));
+			await refreshStatus();
+			await refreshBranches();
+		},
+		[projectId, repoId, withLoading, refreshStatus, refreshBranches],
+	);
+
+	const createBranchFn = useCallback(
+		async (name: string, baseBranch = "HEAD") => {
+			if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+			await withLoading(() =>
+				createBranch(projectId, repoId, name, baseBranch),
+			);
+			await refreshBranches();
+			await refreshStatus();
+		},
+		[projectId, repoId, withLoading, refreshBranches, refreshStatus],
+	);
+
+	const deleteBranchFn = useCallback(
+		async (name: string, force = false) => {
+			if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+			await withLoading(() => deleteBranch(projectId, repoId, name, force));
+			await refreshBranches();
+		},
+		[projectId, repoId, withLoading, refreshBranches],
+	);
+
+	const merge = useCallback(
+		async (sourceBranch: string, targetBranch?: string, message?: string) => {
+			if (!projectId || !repoId) return;
+			await withLoading(() =>
+				mergeBranches(projectId, repoId, sourceBranch, targetBranch, message),
+			);
+			await refreshStatus();
+			await refreshHistory();
+		},
+		[projectId, repoId, withLoading, refreshStatus, refreshHistory],
+	);
+
+	// Auto-refresh branches when projectId/repoId become valid
+	useEffect(() => {
+		if (projectId && repoId) {
+			void refreshBranches();
+		} else {
+			setBranches([]);
+			setDefaultBranch("");
+		}
+	}, [projectId, repoId, refreshBranches]);
+
+	return {
+		branches,
+		defaultBranch,
+		status,
+		history,
+		commitDetail,
+		loading,
+		error,
+		refreshBranches,
+		refreshStatus,
+		refreshHistory,
+		loadCommitDetail,
+		commit,
+		push,
+		pull,
+		fetch,
+		checkout,
+		createBranch: createBranchFn,
+		deleteBranch: deleteBranchFn,
+		merge,
+		clearError: () => setError(null),
+	};
+}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/projects.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/projects.tsx
index 2eb3762..103d510 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/projects.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/projects.tsx
@@ -10,10 +10,7 @@ import {
 	type ProjectCreateInput,
 	type ProjectUpdateInput,
 } from "../api/projects";
-import {
-	deleteWorkspace,
-	syncWorkspace,
-} from "../api/workspaces";
+import { deleteWorkspace, syncWorkspace } from "../api/workspaces";
 import {
 	EmptyState,
 	ErrorState,
@@ -111,8 +108,6 @@ export const ProjectsPage = () => {
 		}
 	};
 
-
-
 	const handleSyncWorkspace = async (
 		projectId: string,
 		repoId: string,