diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/package-manager.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/package-manager.ts
index 199597574..f45678ccc 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/package-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/package-manager.ts
@@ -1441,8 +1441,8 @@ export class DefaultPackageManager implements PackageManager {
 				if (!existsSync(installedPath)) {
 					const installed = await installMissing();
 					if (!installed) continue;
-				} else if (resolvedScope === "temporary" && !parsed.pinned && !isOfflineModeEnabled()) {
-					await this.refreshTemporaryGitSource(parsed, resolvedSource);
+				} else if (resolvedScope === "temporary" && !isOfflineModeEnabled()) {
+					await this.refreshTemporaryGitSource(parsed, resolvedSource, installedPath);
 				}
 				metadata.baseDir = installedPath;
 				metadata.packageRoot = installedPath;
@@ -2132,11 +2132,22 @@ export class DefaultPackageManager implements PackageManager {
 		await this.cleanAndInstallGitDependencies(targetDir, markerPath);
 	}
 
-	private async refreshTemporaryGitSource(source: GitSource, sourceStr: string): Promise<void> {
+	private async refreshTemporaryGitSource(source: GitSource, sourceStr: string, installedPath: string): Promise<void> {
 		if (isOfflineModeEnabled()) {
 			return;
 		}
 		try {
+			// A ref can name a moving branch, so refresh refs too. Skip the network call only when the
+			// ref is a commit hash that is already checked out.
+			if (source.ref && /^[0-9a-f]{7,64}$/i.test(source.ref)) {
+				const head = await this.runCommandCapture("git", ["rev-parse", "HEAD"], {
+					cwd: installedPath,
+					timeoutMs: NETWORK_TIMEOUT_MS,
+				});
+				if (head.trim().toLowerCase().startsWith(source.ref.toLowerCase())) {
+					return;
+				}
+			}
 			await this.withProgress("pull", sourceStr, `Refreshing ${sourceStr}...`, async () => {
 				await this.updateGit(source, "temporary");
 			});
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/git.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/git.ts
index 1314edea7..2b5a1369d 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/git.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/git.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export type GitSource = {
 	path: string;
 	/** Git ref (branch, tag, commit) if specified */
 	ref?: string;
-	/** True if ref was specified (package won't be auto-updated) */
+	/** True if ref was specified. `pi update` reconciles the checkout to the ref but does not move the ref. */
 	pinned: boolean;
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/package-manager.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/package-manager.test.ts
index 530bb48bf..bdeffba40 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/test/package-manager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/package-manager.test.ts
@@ -2941,6 +2941,39 @@ export default function(api) { api.registerTool({ name: "test", description: "te
 		});
 
 		// https://github.com/earendil-works/pi/issues/11375
+		it("should refresh temporary git sources with a branch ref", async () => {
+			const managerWithInternals = packageManager as unknown as PackageManagerInternals;
+			const source = "git:github.com/example/repo@main";
+			const parsed = managerWithInternals.parseSource(source);
+			if (parsed.type !== "git") throw new Error("Expected git source");
+			const installedPath = managerWithInternals.getGitInstallPath(parsed, "temporary");
+			mkdirSync(join(installedPath, "extensions"), { recursive: true });
+			writeFileSync(join(installedPath, "extensions", "index.ts"), "export default function() {};");
+
+			const updateGitSpy = vi.spyOn(packageManager as any, "updateGit").mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+			const result = await packageManager.resolveExtensionSources([source], { temporary: true });
+			expect(updateGitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+			expect(updateGitSpy.mock.calls[0][0]).toMatchObject({ ref: "main" });
+			expect(result.extensions.some((r) => pathEndsWith(r.path, "extensions/index.ts") && r.enabled)).toBe(true);
+		});
+
+		it("should not refresh temporary git sources pinned to the checked-out commit", async () => {
+			const managerWithInternals = packageManager as unknown as PackageManagerInternals;
+			const source = "git:github.com/example/repo@abc1234";
+			const parsed = managerWithInternals.parseSource(source);
+			if (parsed.type !== "git") throw new Error("Expected git source");
+			mkdirSync(managerWithInternals.getGitInstallPath(parsed, "temporary"), { recursive: true });
+
+			vi.spyOn(packageManager as any, "runCommandCapture").mockResolvedValue(
+				"ABC1234def5678901234567890123456789012345\n",
+			);
+			const updateGitSpy = vi.spyOn(packageManager as any, "updateGit").mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+			await packageManager.resolveExtensionSources([source], { temporary: true });
+			expect(updateGitSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		});
+
 		it("should refresh unpinned temporary npm sources when a newer version exists", async () => {
 			const managerWithInternals = packageManager as unknown as PackageManagerInternals;
 			const source = "npm:example";