diff --git a/src/components/PatchActivityItem.svelte b/src/components/PatchActivityItem.svelte
index 47a134590..a49057c1f 100644
--- a/src/components/PatchActivityItem.svelte
+++ b/src/components/PatchActivityItem.svelte
@@ -257,6 +257,11 @@
   .merge-badge :global(*) {
     color: inherit;
   }
+  .merge-target {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 0.25rem;
+  }
   .copy-link {
     display: inline-flex;
     align-items: center;
@@ -572,7 +577,11 @@
       <div class="summary-line">
         <span class="txt-body-m-medium">merged patch</span>
         {#if targetBranch}
-          into <b>{targetBranch}</b>
+          into
+          <span class="merge-target">
+            <Icon name="branch" />
+            {targetBranch}
+          </span>
         {/if}
       </div>
       <div class="meta">
diff --git a/src/components/PatchMetadata.svelte b/src/components/PatchMetadata.svelte
index 0e2a5c6a7..9c6676f70 100644
--- a/src/components/PatchMetadata.svelte
+++ b/src/components/PatchMetadata.svelte
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
   import type { Config } from "@bindings/config/Config";
   import type { Stats } from "@bindings/diff/Stats";
   import type { RepoInfo } from "@bindings/repo/RepoInfo";
+  import type { RepoRefs } from "@bindings/repo/RepoRefs";
 
   import debounce from "lodash/debounce";
 
@@ -19,12 +20,14 @@
     summaryTitle,
   } from "@app/lib/reviewSummary";
   import * as roles from "@app/lib/roles";
-  import { push } from "@app/lib/router";
+  import { push, routeToPath } from "@app/lib/router";
   import {
     authorForNodeId,
+    defaultBranch,
     formatOid,
     pluralize,
     publicKeyFromDid,
+    unqualifyBranch,
     verdictIcon,
   } from "@app/lib/utils";
 
@@ -149,6 +152,58 @@
       await loadPatch();
     }
   }
+
+  const targetBranch = $derived(
+    patch.targetBranch === undefined
+      ? undefined
+      : unqualifyBranch(patch.targetBranch),
+  );
+  const targetBranchCaption = $derived(
+    `This patch merges into ${targetBranch}`,
+  );
+
+  // A patch's target is not validated when it is opened, so it can name a
+  // branch the source view cannot resolve. The default branch is canonical by
+  // definition; any other target needs the canonical ref list, which is
+  // expensive enough to load after render. An unresolved target renders
+  // unlinked — a missing link beats one that errors.
+  const targetIsDefaultBranch = $derived(
+    targetBranch !== undefined && targetBranch === defaultBranch(repo),
+  );
+
+  let canonicalBranches: Record<string, string> | undefined = $state();
+  let canonicalBranchesRid: string | undefined;
+
+  $effect(() => {
+    if (targetBranch === undefined || targetIsDefaultBranch) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const requested = repo.rid;
+    if (canonicalBranchesRid === requested) {
+      return;
+    }
+    canonicalBranchesRid = requested;
+    canonicalBranches = undefined;
+    void invoke<RepoRefs>("list_repo_refs", { rid: requested })
+      .then(refs => {
+        if (canonicalBranchesRid === requested) {
+          canonicalBranches = refs.canonical.branches;
+        }
+      })
+      .catch(error => {
+        if (canonicalBranchesRid === requested) {
+          canonicalBranchesRid = undefined;
+        }
+        console.error("Failed to load repo refs", error);
+      });
+  });
+
+  const targetBranchBrowsable = $derived(
+    targetIsDefaultBranch ||
+      (targetBranch !== undefined &&
+        canonicalBranches !== undefined &&
+        targetBranch in canonicalBranches),
+  );
 </script>
 
 <style>
@@ -238,6 +293,7 @@
     color: var(--color-text-brand);
   }
   .patch-id-chip,
+  .target-branch-chip,
   .author-chip {
     display: inline-flex;
     align-items: center;
@@ -249,6 +305,24 @@
     color: var(--color-text-tertiary);
     font: var(--txt-body-m-regular);
   }
+  .target-group {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    height: 2rem;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    border: 1px solid var(--color-border-subtle);
+    border-radius: var(--border-radius-sm);
+    background-color: var(--color-surface-canvas);
+    color: var(--color-text-tertiary);
+    font: var(--txt-body-m-regular);
+  }
+  .target-group .patch-id-chip,
+  .target-group .target-branch-chip {
+    height: 100%;
+    border: 0;
+    border-radius: 0;
+    background: none;
+  }
   .patch-id-chip {
     gap: 0.375rem;
     cursor: pointer;
@@ -258,6 +332,19 @@
     background-color: var(--color-surface-subtle);
     color: var(--color-text-primary);
   }
+  .target-arrow {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+  }
+  .target-branch-chip {
+    gap: 0.375rem;
+    text-decoration: none;
+  }
+  a.target-branch-chip:hover,
+  a.target-branch-chip:focus-visible {
+    background-color: var(--color-surface-subtle);
+    color: var(--color-text-primary);
+  }
   .patch-id-value {
     font: var(--txt-code-regular);
   }
@@ -284,19 +371,44 @@
   <div class="author-chip" title="Patch author">
     <NodeId {...authorForNodeId(patch.author)} />
   </div>
-  <button
-    type="button"
-    class="patch-id-chip"
-    title={patchIdCopied ? "Copied to clipboard" : "Copy patch ID"}
-    onclick={copyPatchId}>
-    {#if patchIdCopied}
-      <Icon name="checkmark" />
-    {:else}
-      <span class="pid-icon-default"><Icon name="hash" /></span>
-      <span class="pid-icon-hover"><Icon name="copy" /></span>
+  <div class="target-group">
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      class="patch-id-chip"
+      title={patchIdCopied ? "Copied to clipboard" : "Copy patch ID"}
+      onclick={copyPatchId}>
+      {#if patchIdCopied}
+        <Icon name="checkmark" />
+      {:else}
+        <span class="pid-icon-default"><Icon name="hash" /></span>
+        <span class="pid-icon-hover"><Icon name="copy" /></span>
+      {/if}
+      <span class="patch-id-value">{formatOid(patch.id)}</span>
+    </button>
+    {#if targetBranch}
+      <span class="target-arrow" title={targetBranchCaption}>
+        <Icon name="arrow-right" />
+      </span>
+      {#if targetBranchBrowsable}
+        <a
+          class="target-branch-chip"
+          title={targetBranchCaption}
+          href={routeToPath({
+            resource: "repo.home",
+            rid: repo.rid,
+            revision: targetBranch,
+          })}>
+          <Icon name="branch" />
+          <span>{targetBranch}</span>
+        </a>
+      {:else}
+        <span class="target-branch-chip" title={targetBranchCaption}>
+          <Icon name="branch" />
+          <span>{targetBranch}</span>
+        </span>
+      {/if}
     {/if}
-    <span class="patch-id-value">{formatOid(patch.id)}</span>
-  </button>
+  </div>
   {#if stats}
     {#if onShowChanges}
       <button
diff --git a/src/components/Revision.svelte b/src/components/Revision.svelte
index e67edd74e..fd15807ed 100644
--- a/src/components/Revision.svelte
+++ b/src/components/Revision.svelte
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
   import type { Thread } from "@bindings/cob/thread/Thread";
   import type { Config } from "@bindings/config/Config";
   import type { Commit } from "@bindings/repo/Commit";
-  import type { RepoInfo } from "@bindings/repo/RepoInfo";
   import type { Snippet } from "svelte";
 
   import partial from "lodash/partial";
@@ -38,6 +37,7 @@
     didFromPublicKey,
     pluralize,
     publicKeyFromDid,
+    unqualifyBranch,
   } from "@app/lib/utils";
 
   import { announce } from "@app/components/AnnounceSwitch.svelte";
@@ -88,9 +88,10 @@
 
   interface Props {
     rid: string;
-    repo: RepoInfo;
     repoDelegates: Author[];
     patchId: string;
+    // The patch's resolved merge target, fully qualified.
+    patchTargetBranch?: string;
     revision: Revision;
     config: Config;
     loadPatch: () => Promise<void>;
@@ -119,9 +120,9 @@
   /* eslint-disable prefer-const */
   let {
     rid,
-    repo,
     repoDelegates,
     patchId,
+    patchTargetBranch,
     revision,
     config,
     loadPatch,
@@ -183,7 +184,9 @@
       : undefined;
   });
   const targetBranch = $derived(
-    repo.payloads["xyz.radicle.project"]?.data.defaultBranch,
+    patchTargetBranch === undefined
+      ? undefined
+      : unqualifyBranch(patchTargetBranch),
   );
   let revisionToggles: Record<string, boolean> = $state({});
   let commitGroupToggles: Record<string, boolean> = $state({});
diff --git a/src/lib/utils.ts b/src/lib/utils.ts
index 22b5a9e16..0aee91a47 100644
--- a/src/lib/utils.ts
+++ b/src/lib/utils.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import type { Issue } from "@bindings/cob/issue/Issue";
 import type { Patch } from "@bindings/cob/patch/Patch";
 import type { Review } from "@bindings/cob/patch/Review";
 import type { Config } from "@bindings/config/Config";
+import type { RepoInfo } from "@bindings/repo/RepoInfo";
 import type { ComponentProps } from "svelte";
 
 import bs58 from "bs58";
@@ -16,6 +17,20 @@ export const unreachable = (value: never): never => {
   throw new Error(`Unreachable code: ${value}`);
 };
 
+export const REFS_HEADS = "refs/heads/";
+
+// The single place to change once the API stops carrying the default branch
+// in the project payload, which Heartwood no longer requires.
+export function defaultBranch(repo: RepoInfo): string | undefined {
+  return repo.payloads["xyz.radicle.project"]?.data.defaultBranch;
+}
+
+export function unqualifyBranch(refname: string): string {
+  return refname.startsWith(REFS_HEADS)
+    ? refname.slice(REFS_HEADS.length)
+    : refname;
+}
+
 export function formatRepositoryId(id: string): string {
   const parsedId = parseRepositoryId(id);
 
diff --git a/src/views/repo/Patch.svelte b/src/views/repo/Patch.svelte
index e9740013a..41d123332 100644
--- a/src/views/repo/Patch.svelte
+++ b/src/views/repo/Patch.svelte
@@ -1514,9 +1514,9 @@
 
     {#snippet revisionBody()}
       <RevisionComponent
+        patchTargetBranch={patch.targetBranch}
         bind:this={revisionComponent}
         rid={repo.rid}
-        {repo}
         repoDelegates={repo.delegates}
         patchId={patch.id}
         {loadPatch}
@@ -1571,8 +1571,8 @@
                   class:collapsed={descriptionCollapsed}>
                   <div class="patch-description-body" bind:this={descriptionEl}>
                     <RevisionComponent
+                      patchTargetBranch={patch.targetBranch}
                       rid={repo.rid}
-                      {repo}
                       repoDelegates={repo.delegates}
                       patchId={patch.id}
                       {loadPatch}