diff --git a/src/cmds/git/git.rs b/src/cmds/git/git.rs
index 29fd3b73a..e6be3f6d4 100644
--- a/src/cmds/git/git.rs
+++ b/src/cmds/git/git.rs
@@ -1275,6 +1275,9 @@ fn run_branch(args: &[String], verbose: u8, global_args: &[String]) -> Result<i3
             || a == "--points-at"
             || a.starts_with("--points-at=")
     });
+    let wants_native_branch_list = args
+        .iter()
+        .any(|a| matches!(a.as_str(), "-a" | "--all" | "-r" | "--remotes"));
 
     // Detect positional arguments (not flags) — indicates branch creation
     let has_positional_arg = args.iter().any(|a| !a.starts_with('-'));
@@ -1343,6 +1346,39 @@ fn run_branch(args: &[String], verbose: u8, global_args: &[String]) -> Result<i3
         return Ok(0);
     }
 
+    // Explicit all/remotes flags are often used to inspect exact ref names, so
+    // preserve git's native listing instead of collapsing remote-tracking refs.
+    if wants_native_branch_list {
+        let mut cmd = git_cmd(global_args);
+        cmd.arg("branch");
+        cmd.arg("--no-color");
+        for arg in args {
+            cmd.arg(arg);
+        }
+        let result = exec_capture(&mut cmd).context("Failed to run git branch")?;
+        let combined = result.combined();
+
+        timer.track(
+            &format!("git branch {}", args.join(" ")),
+            &format!("rtk git branch {} (passthrough)", args.join(" ")),
+            &combined,
+            &result.stdout,
+        );
+
+        if result.success() {
+            print!("{}", result.stdout);
+        } else {
+            if !result.stdout.is_empty() {
+                print!("{}", result.stdout);
+            }
+            if !result.stderr.is_empty() {
+                eprint!("{}", result.stderr);
+            }
+            return Ok(result.exit_code);
+        }
+        return Ok(0);
+    }
+
     // List mode: show compact branch list
     let mut cmd = git_cmd(global_args);
     cmd.arg("branch");
diff --git a/tests/git_branch_test.rs b/tests/git_branch_test.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d4186591c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/git_branch_test.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+#![cfg(unix)]
+
+use std::fs;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::process::Command;
+
+fn rtk() -> Command {
+    Command::new(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_rtk"))
+}
+
+fn git(repo: impl AsRef<Path>, args: &[&str]) {
+    let output = Command::new("git")
+        .current_dir(repo)
+        .args(args)
+        .output()
+        .expect("run git");
+    assert!(
+        output.status.success(),
+        "git {:?} failed\nstdout:\n{}\nstderr:\n{}",
+        args,
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout),
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+    );
+}
+
+fn setup_remote_repo() -> (tempfile::TempDir, PathBuf) {
+    let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("tempdir");
+    let origin = dir.path().join("origin.git");
+    let seed = dir.path().join("seed");
+    let client = dir.path().join("client");
+
+    let output = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["init", "--bare", origin.to_str().unwrap()])
+        .output()
+        .expect("git init --bare");
+    assert!(output.status.success());
+
+    let output = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["init", seed.to_str().unwrap()])
+        .output()
+        .expect("git init seed");
+    assert!(output.status.success());
+
+    git(&seed, &["config", "user.name", "Test"]);
+    git(&seed, &["config", "user.email", "test@example.com"]);
+    fs::write(seed.join("README.md"), "hello\n").expect("write README");
+    git(&seed, &["add", "README.md"]);
+    git(&seed, &["commit", "-m", "init"]);
+    git(&seed, &["branch", "-M", "main"]);
+    git(
+        &seed,
+        &["remote", "add", "origin", origin.to_str().unwrap()],
+    );
+    git(&seed, &["push", "-u", "origin", "main"]);
+
+    git(&seed, &["checkout", "-b", "feature"]);
+    fs::write(seed.join("feature.txt"), "feature\n").expect("write feature");
+    git(&seed, &["add", "feature.txt"]);
+    git(&seed, &["commit", "-m", "feature"]);
+    git(&seed, &["push", "-u", "origin", "feature"]);
+
+    let output = Command::new("git")
+        .arg("--git-dir")
+        .arg(&origin)
+        .args(["symbolic-ref", "HEAD", "refs/heads/main"])
+        .output()
+        .expect("set origin HEAD");
+    assert!(output.status.success());
+
+    let output = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["clone", origin.to_str().unwrap(), client.to_str().unwrap()])
+        .output()
+        .expect("git clone");
+    assert!(
+        output.status.success(),
+        "git clone failed\nstdout:\n{}\nstderr:\n{}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout),
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+    );
+
+    (dir, client)
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn branch_all_preserves_remote_tracking_refs() {
+    let (_dir, client) = setup_remote_repo();
+
+    let output = rtk()
+        .current_dir(client)
+        .args(["git", "branch", "-a"])
+        .output()
+        .expect("rtk git branch -a");
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+
+    assert!(
+        output.status.success(),
+        "rtk git branch -a failed\nstdout:\n{stdout}\nstderr:\n{}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stdout.contains("remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/main"),
+        "missing origin HEAD in branch -a output:\n{stdout}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stdout.contains("remotes/origin/main"),
+        "missing origin/main in branch -a output:\n{stdout}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stdout.contains("remotes/origin/feature"),
+        "missing origin/feature in branch -a output:\n{stdout}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !stdout.contains("remote-only"),
+        "explicit -a should not collapse remotes into a summary:\n{stdout}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn branch_remotes_preserves_native_remote_listing() {
+    let (_dir, client) = setup_remote_repo();
+
+    let output = rtk()
+        .current_dir(client)
+        .args(["git", "branch", "-r"])
+        .output()
+        .expect("rtk git branch -r");
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+
+    assert!(
+        output.status.success(),
+        "rtk git branch -r failed\nstdout:\n{stdout}\nstderr:\n{}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !stdout.starts_with("* \n"),
+        "explicit -r should not inject a blank current branch:\n{stdout}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stdout.contains("origin/HEAD -> origin/main"),
+        "missing origin HEAD in branch -r output:\n{stdout}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stdout.contains("origin/main"),
+        "missing origin/main in branch -r output:\n{stdout}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stdout.contains("origin/feature"),
+        "missing origin/feature in branch -r output:\n{stdout}"
+    );
+}