diff --git a/crates/cli/build.rs b/crates/cli/build.rs
index 4a65efed..7b204ac3 100644
--- a/crates/cli/build.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/build.rs
@@ -17,32 +17,98 @@ fn main() {
 }
 
 /// Tell Cargo to invalidate the cached build script output when `HEAD`
-/// moves, so the embedded short-SHA stays in sync with the checkout. With
-/// only `rerun-if-env-changed` lines, Cargo otherwise caches the script
-/// across commits and the SHA goes stale.
+/// moves, so the embedded short-SHA stays in sync with the checkout.
+///
+/// `.git/HEAD` only changes on branch switches and detached-HEAD moves —
+/// `git commit` on the current branch updates the underlying ref file
+/// (loose `refs/heads/<name>`, or `packed-refs` after `git pack-refs`)
+/// without touching `HEAD` itself. So when `HEAD` is a symbolic ref we
+/// also watch the resolved target and `packed-refs`. A non-existent
+/// `rerun-if-changed` path is treated as "always changed" by Cargo, which
+/// covers the loose→packed transition.
 fn declare_git_head_rerun() {
     let manifest_dir = PathBuf::from(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"));
     let workspace_root = manifest_dir.join("..").join("..");
     let git_meta = workspace_root.join(".git");
-    if git_meta.is_dir() {
-        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", git_meta.join("HEAD").display());
+
+    let gitdir = if git_meta.is_dir() {
+        git_meta
     } else if git_meta.is_file() {
-        // Worktree checkout: `.git` is a pointer file with `gitdir: <path>`.
+        // Worktree pointer file: watch it directly, then follow `gitdir:`.
         println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", git_meta.display());
-        if let Ok(contents) = std::fs::read_to_string(&git_meta) {
-            for line in contents.lines() {
-                if let Some(rest) = line.strip_prefix("gitdir:") {
-                    let trimmed = rest.trim();
-                    let gitdir = if Path::new(trimmed).is_absolute() {
-                        PathBuf::from(trimmed)
-                    } else {
-                        workspace_root.join(trimmed)
-                    };
-                    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", gitdir.join("HEAD").display());
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
+        let Ok(contents) = std::fs::read_to_string(&git_meta) else {
+            return;
+        };
+        let Some(rest) = contents.lines().find_map(|l| l.strip_prefix("gitdir:")) else {
+            return;
+        };
+        let trimmed = rest.trim();
+        if Path::new(trimmed).is_absolute() {
+            PathBuf::from(trimmed)
+        } else {
+            workspace_root.join(trimmed)
         }
+    } else {
+        return;
+    };
+
+    let head = gitdir.join("HEAD");
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", head.display());
+
+    if let Ok(contents) = std::fs::read_to_string(&head)
+        && let Some(target) = parse_symbolic_ref(&contents)
+    {
+        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", gitdir.join(target).display());
+        println!(
+            "cargo:rerun-if-changed={}",
+            gitdir.join("packed-refs").display()
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+/// If `.git/HEAD` is a symbolic ref (`ref: refs/heads/...`) return the
+/// target ref path. Returns `None` for a detached HEAD (raw SHA).
+fn parse_symbolic_ref(head_contents: &str) -> Option<&str> {
+    head_contents
+        .lines()
+        .next()
+        .and_then(|line| line.strip_prefix("ref:"))
+        .map(str::trim)
+        .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::parse_symbolic_ref;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn symbolic_ref_strips_prefix_and_whitespace() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_symbolic_ref("ref: refs/heads/main\n"),
+            Some("refs/heads/main")
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn symbolic_ref_handles_no_trailing_newline() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_symbolic_ref("ref: refs/heads/work/v0.8.26-security"),
+            Some("refs/heads/work/v0.8.26-security")
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn detached_head_is_not_a_symbolic_ref() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_symbolic_ref("506343f44e48b9c2c8d6b2d3e8e8e8e8e8e8e8e8\n"),
+            None
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn empty_input_returns_none() {
+        assert_eq!(parse_symbolic_ref(""), None);
+        assert_eq!(parse_symbolic_ref("ref: \n"), None);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/tui/build.rs b/crates/tui/build.rs
index d5952323..8611287c 100644
--- a/crates/tui/build.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/build.rs
@@ -18,32 +18,98 @@ fn main() {
 }
 
 /// Tell Cargo to invalidate the cached build script output when `HEAD`
-/// moves, so the embedded short-SHA stays in sync with the checkout. With
-/// only `rerun-if-env-changed` lines, Cargo otherwise caches the script
-/// across commits and the SHA goes stale.
+/// moves, so the embedded short-SHA stays in sync with the checkout.
+///
+/// `.git/HEAD` only changes on branch switches and detached-HEAD moves —
+/// `git commit` on the current branch updates the underlying ref file
+/// (loose `refs/heads/<name>`, or `packed-refs` after `git pack-refs`)
+/// without touching `HEAD` itself. So when `HEAD` is a symbolic ref we
+/// also watch the resolved target and `packed-refs`. A non-existent
+/// `rerun-if-changed` path is treated as "always changed" by Cargo, which
+/// covers the loose→packed transition.
 fn declare_git_head_rerun() {
     let manifest_dir = PathBuf::from(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"));
     let workspace_root = manifest_dir.join("..").join("..");
     let git_meta = workspace_root.join(".git");
-    if git_meta.is_dir() {
-        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", git_meta.join("HEAD").display());
+
+    let gitdir = if git_meta.is_dir() {
+        git_meta
     } else if git_meta.is_file() {
-        // Worktree checkout: `.git` is a pointer file with `gitdir: <path>`.
+        // Worktree pointer file: watch it directly, then follow `gitdir:`.
         println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", git_meta.display());
-        if let Ok(contents) = std::fs::read_to_string(&git_meta) {
-            for line in contents.lines() {
-                if let Some(rest) = line.strip_prefix("gitdir:") {
-                    let trimmed = rest.trim();
-                    let gitdir = if Path::new(trimmed).is_absolute() {
-                        PathBuf::from(trimmed)
-                    } else {
-                        workspace_root.join(trimmed)
-                    };
-                    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", gitdir.join("HEAD").display());
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
+        let Ok(contents) = std::fs::read_to_string(&git_meta) else {
+            return;
+        };
+        let Some(rest) = contents.lines().find_map(|l| l.strip_prefix("gitdir:")) else {
+            return;
+        };
+        let trimmed = rest.trim();
+        if Path::new(trimmed).is_absolute() {
+            PathBuf::from(trimmed)
+        } else {
+            workspace_root.join(trimmed)
         }
+    } else {
+        return;
+    };
+
+    let head = gitdir.join("HEAD");
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", head.display());
+
+    if let Ok(contents) = std::fs::read_to_string(&head)
+        && let Some(target) = parse_symbolic_ref(&contents)
+    {
+        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", gitdir.join(target).display());
+        println!(
+            "cargo:rerun-if-changed={}",
+            gitdir.join("packed-refs").display()
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+/// If `.git/HEAD` is a symbolic ref (`ref: refs/heads/...`) return the
+/// target ref path. Returns `None` for a detached HEAD (raw SHA).
+fn parse_symbolic_ref(head_contents: &str) -> Option<&str> {
+    head_contents
+        .lines()
+        .next()
+        .and_then(|line| line.strip_prefix("ref:"))
+        .map(str::trim)
+        .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::parse_symbolic_ref;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn symbolic_ref_strips_prefix_and_whitespace() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_symbolic_ref("ref: refs/heads/main\n"),
+            Some("refs/heads/main")
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn symbolic_ref_handles_no_trailing_newline() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_symbolic_ref("ref: refs/heads/work/v0.8.26-security"),
+            Some("refs/heads/work/v0.8.26-security")
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn detached_head_is_not_a_symbolic_ref() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_symbolic_ref("506343f44e48b9c2c8d6b2d3e8e8e8e8e8e8e8e8\n"),
+            None
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn empty_input_returns_none() {
+        assert_eq!(parse_symbolic_ref(""), None);
+        assert_eq!(parse_symbolic_ref("ref: \n"), None);
     }
 }