diff --git a/lua/git/core/repo.lua b/lua/git/core/repo.lua
index e29b805..26e7a1c 100644
--- a/lua/git/core/repo.lua
+++ b/lua/git/core/repo.lua
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ end
 ---@field index_writer boolean?
 ---@field index_mode string?
 
----@alias ow.Git.Repo.Event 
----| "refresh"
+---@alias ow.Git.Repo.Event
+---| "change"
 
 local global = util.Emitter.new()
 
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ end
 
 ---@class ow.Git.Repo.Change
 ---@field paths table<string, true>
+---@field branch_changed boolean
 
 ---@class ow.Git.Repo.RefreshOpts
 ---@field invalidate boolean?
@@ -196,6 +197,7 @@ function Repo:_fetch_status()
         self._pending_invalidate = false
     end
     local prior_entries = self.status.entries
+    local prior_branch = self.status.branch
     self._fetch_epoch = self._fetch_epoch + 1
     local epoch = self._fetch_epoch
     util.git(STATUS_ARGS, {
@@ -217,9 +219,16 @@ function Repo:_fetch_status()
                     prior_entries,
                     self.status.entries
                 ),
+                branch_changed = not vim.deep_equal(
+                    prior_branch,
+                    self.status.branch
+                ),
             }
-            self._events:emit("refresh", change, self.status)
-            global:emit("refresh", self, change, self.status)
+            if next(change.paths) == nil and not change.branch_changed then
+                return
+            end
+            self._events:emit("change", change, self.status)
+            global:emit("change", self, change, self.status)
         end,
     })
 end
@@ -337,7 +346,7 @@ function Repo:_register_submodule(name)
     end
     self._submodules[name] = {
         worktree = wt,
-        unsub = child:on("refresh", function()
+        unsub = child:on("change", function()
             self:refresh()
         end),
     }
@@ -479,7 +488,7 @@ function Repo:close()
     self._events:clear()
 end
 
----@overload fun(event: "refresh", fn: fun(change: ow.Git.Repo.Change, status: ow.Git.Status)): fun()
+---@overload fun(event: "change", fn: fun(change: ow.Git.Repo.Change, status: ow.Git.Status)): fun()
 function Repo:on(event, fn)
     return self._events:on(event, fn)
 end
@@ -636,7 +645,7 @@ end
 ---@type table<string, true>
 local no_repo_dirs = {}
 
----@overload fun(event: "refresh", fn: fun(r: ow.Git.Repo, change: ow.Git.Repo.Change, status: ow.Git.Status)): fun()
+---@overload fun(event: "change", fn: fun(r: ow.Git.Repo, change: ow.Git.Repo.Change, status: ow.Git.Status)): fun()
 function M.on(event, fn)
     return global:on(event, fn)
 end
@@ -644,8 +653,8 @@ end
 ---@param prefix string
 ---@param fn fun(buf: integer, r: ow.Git.Repo)
 ---@return fun() unsubscribe
-function M.on_uri_refresh(prefix, fn)
-    return M.on("refresh", function(r)
+function M.on_uri_change(prefix, fn)
+    return M.on("change", function(r)
         for buf in pairs(r.buffers) do
             if vim.api.nvim_buf_is_loaded(buf) then
                 local name = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_name(buf)
diff --git a/lua/git/log_view.lua b/lua/git/log_view.lua
index 3d39f10..a65735a 100644
--- a/lua/git/log_view.lua
+++ b/lua/git/log_view.lua
@@ -170,6 +170,6 @@ function M.complete_glog(arg_lead)
     return matches
 end
 
-repo.on_uri_refresh(M.URI_PREFIX, populate)
+repo.on_uri_change(M.URI_PREFIX, populate)
 
 return M
diff --git a/lua/git/object.lua b/lua/git/object.lua
index 7c33ff9..4f71898 100644
--- a/lua/git/object.lua
+++ b/lua/git/object.lua
@@ -428,6 +428,6 @@ function M.open_under_cursor()
     return false
 end
 
-repo.on_uri_refresh(M.URI_PREFIX, refresh)
+repo.on_uri_change(M.URI_PREFIX, refresh)
 
 return M
diff --git a/lua/git/status_view.lua b/lua/git/status_view.lua
index 45dda2d..18bc6cf 100644
--- a/lua/git/status_view.lua
+++ b/lua/git/status_view.lua
@@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ local function setup_buffer(bufnr, r, placement, win, invocation_win)
         action_help(state[bufnr].placement)
     end, "Help")
 
-    state[bufnr].unsubscribe = r:on("refresh", function()
+    state[bufnr].unsubscribe = r:on("change", function()
         refresh(bufnr)
     end)
     vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("BufEnter", {
diff --git a/lua/git/statusline.lua b/lua/git/statusline.lua
index 33592e7..d779c53 100644
--- a/lua/git/statusline.lua
+++ b/lua/git/statusline.lua
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ local function update_buf(buf, r)
     set_status(buf, r, rel)
 end
 
-repo.on("refresh", function(r)
+repo.on("change", function(r)
     local any_visible = false
     for buf in pairs(r.buffers) do
         if vim.api.nvim_buf_is_loaded(buf) then
diff --git a/plugins/nvim-tree.lua b/plugins/nvim-tree.lua
index bc18a9a..6ba4b0d 100644
--- a/plugins/nvim-tree.lua
+++ b/plugins/nvim-tree.lua
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ local Decorator = require("nvim-tree.api").Decorator
 
 local repo = require("git.core.repo")
 
-repo.on("refresh", function()
+repo.on("change", function()
     require("nvim-tree.api").tree.reload()
 end)
 
diff --git a/test/git/repo_test.lua b/test/git/repo_test.lua
index a66e689..48a77fe 100644
--- a/test/git/repo_test.lua
+++ b/test/git/repo_test.lua
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ t.test("refresh emits change.paths listing structurally-changed paths", function
     t.write(dir, "a", "2")
     ---@type ow.Git.Repo.Change?
     local change_seen
-    local unsub = r:on("refresh", function(change)
+    local unsub = r:on("change", function(change)
         change_seen = change
     end)
     r:refresh()
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ t.test("submodule: eagerly creates child Repos and subscribes by default", funct
     t.write(outer_path .. "/sub", "a", "modified\n")
     ---@type ow.Git.Repo.Change?
     local outer_change
-    local unsub = outer:on("refresh", function(change)
+    local unsub = outer:on("change", function(change)
         outer_change = change
     end)
     inner:refresh()