fix(web): Fixed issue where Sourcebot would not index the new default branch when changed (#789)

Author: brendan-kellam

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Fixed
 - Properly map all hotkeys in UI based on the platform [#784](https://github.com/sourcebot-dev/sourcebot/pull/784)
 - Allow parenthesis in query and filter terms [#788](https://github.com/sourcebot-dev/sourcebot/pull/788)
+- Fixed issue where Sourcebot would not index the new default branch when changed. [#789](https://github.com/sourcebot-dev/sourcebot/pull/789)
+
+### Changed
+- Changed the UI to display the default branch name instead of HEAD where applicable. [#789](https://github.com/sourcebot-dev/sourcebot/pull/789)
 
 ## [4.10.16] - 2026-01-22
 

packages/backend/src/git.ts

@@ -123,6 +123,17 @@ export const fetchRepository = async (
             "--prune",
             "--progress"
         ]);
+
+        // Update HEAD to match the remote's default branch. This handles the case where the remote's
+        // default branch changes.
+        const remoteDefaultBranch = await getRemoteDefaultBranch({
+            path,
+            cloneUrl,
+        });
+
+        if (remoteDefaultBranch) {
+            await git.raw(['symbolic-ref', 'HEAD', `refs/heads/${remoteDefaultBranch}`]);
+        }
     } catch (error: unknown) {
         const baseLog = `Failed to fetch repository: ${path}`;
         if (env.SOURCEBOT_LOG_LEVEL !== "debug") {
@@ -297,4 +308,64 @@ export const getCommitHashForRefName = async ({
         logger.debug(error);
         return undefined;
     }
-}
+}
+
+/**
+ * Gets the default branch name from the remote repository by querying what
+ * the remote's HEAD symbolic ref points to.
+ *
+ * This is useful for detecting when a remote repository's default branch has
+ * changed (e.g., from "master" to "main").
+ *
+ * @returns The branch name (e.g., "main", "master") or undefined if it cannot be determined
+ */
+export const getRemoteDefaultBranch = async ({
+    path,
+    cloneUrl,
+}: {
+    path: string,
+    cloneUrl: string,
+}) => {
+    const git = createGitClientForPath(path);
+    try {
+        const remoteHead = await git.raw(['ls-remote', '--symref', cloneUrl, 'HEAD']);
+        const match = remoteHead.match(/^ref: refs\/heads\/(\S+)\s+HEAD/m);
+        if (match) {
+            return match[1];
+        }
+    } catch (error: unknown) {
+        // Avoid printing error here since cloneUrl may contain credentials.
+        console.error(`Failed to get remote default branch for repository: ${path}`);
+        return undefined;
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Gets the branch name that the local HEAD symbolic ref points to.
+ *
+ * In a git repository, HEAD is typically a symbolic reference that points to
+ * a branch (e.g., refs/heads/main). This function resolves that symbolic ref
+ * and returns just the branch name.
+ *
+ * @returns The branch name (e.g., "main", "master") or undefined if HEAD is not a symbolic ref
+ */
+export const getLocalDefaultBranch = async ({
+    path,
+}: {
+    path: string,
+}) => {
+    const git = createGitClientForPath(path);
+
+    try {
+        const ref = await git.raw(['symbolic-ref', 'HEAD']);
+        // Returns something like "refs/heads/main\n", so trim and remove prefix
+        const trimmed = ref.trim();
+        const match = trimmed.match(/^refs\/heads\/(.+)$/);
+        if (match) {
+            return match[1];
+        }
+    } catch (error: unknown) {
+        console.error(`Failed to get local default branch for repository: ${path}`);
+        return undefined;
+    }
+}

packages/backend/src/repoIndexManager.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { Job, Queue, ReservedJob, Worker } from "groupmq";
 import { Redis } from 'ioredis';
 import micromatch from 'micromatch';
 import { GROUPMQ_WORKER_STOP_GRACEFUL_TIMEOUT_MS, INDEX_CACHE_DIR } from './constants.js';
-import { cloneRepository, fetchRepository, getBranches, getCommitHashForRefName, getTags, isPathAValidGitRepoRoot, unsetGitConfig, upsertGitConfig } from './git.js';
+import { cloneRepository, fetchRepository, getBranches, getCommitHashForRefName, getLocalDefaultBranch, getTags, isPathAValidGitRepoRoot, unsetGitConfig, upsertGitConfig } from './git.js';
 import { captureEvent } from './posthog.js';
 import { PromClient } from './promClient.js';
 import { RepoWithConnections, Settings } from "./types.js";
@@ -364,7 +364,6 @@ export class RepoIndexManager {
 
             process.stdout.write('\n');
             logger.info(`Fetched ${repo.name} (id: ${repo.id}) in ${fetchDuration_s}s`);
-
         } else if (!isReadOnly) {
             logger.info(`Cloning ${repo.name} (id: ${repo.id})...`);
 
@@ -394,9 +393,11 @@ export class RepoIndexManager {
             });
         }
 
-        let revisions = [
-            'HEAD'
-        ];
+        const defaultBranch = await getLocalDefaultBranch({
+            path: repoPath,
+        });
+
+        let revisions = defaultBranch ? [defaultBranch] : ['HEAD'];
 
         if (metadata.branches) {
             const branchGlobs = metadata.branches

packages/web/src/app/[domain]/components/pathHeader.tsx

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ interface FileHeaderProps {
         displayName?: string;
         webUrl?: string;
     },
+    isBranchDisplayNameVisible?: boolean;
     branchDisplayName?: string;
     branchDisplayTitle?: string;
     isCodeHostIconVisible?: boolean;
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ export const PathHeader = ({
     path,
     pathHighlightRange,
     branchDisplayName,
+    isBranchDisplayNameVisible = !!branchDisplayName,
     branchDisplayTitle,
     pathType = 'blob',
     isCodeHostIconVisible = true,
@@ -224,7 +226,7 @@ export const PathHeader = ({
             >
                 {info?.displayName}
             </Link>
-            {branchDisplayName && (
+            {(isBranchDisplayNameVisible && branchDisplayName) && (
                 <p
                     className="text-xs font-semibold text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400 mt-[3px] flex items-center gap-0.5"
                     title={branchDisplayTitle}

packages/web/src/app/[domain]/search/components/searchResultsPage.tsx

@@ -104,10 +104,8 @@ export const SearchResultsPage = ({
 
     // Look for any files that are not on the default branch.
     const isBranchFilteringEnabled = useMemo(() => {
-        return files.some((file) => {
-            return file.branches?.some((branch) => branch !== 'HEAD') ?? false;
-        });
-    }, [files]);
+        return searchQuery.includes('rev:');
+    }, [searchQuery]);
 
     useEffect(() => {
         if (isStreaming || !stats) {

packages/web/src/app/[domain]/search/components/searchResultsPanel/fileMatchContainer.tsx

@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ export const FileMatchContainer = ({
     }, [file.branches]);
 
     const branchDisplayName = useMemo(() => {
-        if (!isBranchFilteringEnabled || branches.length === 0) {
+        if (branches.length === 0) {
             return undefined;
         }
 
         return `${branches[0]}${branches.length > 1 ? ` +${branches.length - 1}` : ''}`;
-    }, [branches, isBranchFilteringEnabled]);
+    }, [branches]);
 
     const repo = useMemo(() => {
         return repoInfo[file.repositoryId];
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ export const FileMatchContainer = ({
                     }}
                     path={file.fileName.text}
                     pathHighlightRange={fileNameRange}
+                    isBranchDisplayNameVisible={isBranchFilteringEnabled}
                     branchDisplayName={branchDisplayName}
                     branchDisplayTitle={branches.join(", ")}
                 />