diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/refresh_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/refresh_helper.go
index 8d88faeec..b927296fc 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/refresh_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/refresh_helper.go
@@ -127,7 +127,12 @@ func (self *RefreshHelper) Refresh(options types.RefreshOptions) error {
 			refresh("commits and commit files", self.refreshCommitsAndCommitFiles)
 
 			includeWorktreesWithBranches = scopeSet.Includes(types.WORKTREES)
-			refresh("reflog and branches", func() { self.refreshReflogAndBranches(includeWorktreesWithBranches, options.KeepBranchSelectionIndex) })
+			if self.c.AppState.LocalBranchSortOrder == "recency" {
+				refresh("reflog and branches", func() { self.refreshReflogAndBranches(includeWorktreesWithBranches, options.KeepBranchSelectionIndex) })
+			} else {
+				refresh("branches", func() { self.refreshBranches(includeWorktreesWithBranches, options.KeepBranchSelectionIndex) })
+				refresh("reflog", func() { _ = self.refreshReflogCommits() })
+			}
 		} else if scopeSet.Includes(types.REBASE_COMMITS) {
 			// the above block handles rebase commits so we only need to call this one
 			// if we've asked specifically for rebase commits and not those other things
diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui.go b/pkg/gui/gui.go
index caa385c3b..0c0f36370 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui.go
@@ -342,15 +342,8 @@ func (gui *Gui) onNewRepo(startArgs appTypes.StartArgs, contextKey types.Context
 	return nil
 }
 
-// resetState determines if we pull the repo state from our repo state map or
-// just re-initialize it. For now we're only re-using state when we're going
-// in and out of submodules, for the sake of having the cursor back on the submodule
-// when we return.
-//
-// I tried out always reverting to the repo's original state but found that in fact
-// it gets a bit confusing to land back in the status panel when visiting a repo
-// you've already switched from. There's no doubt some easy way to make the UX
-// optimal for all cases but I'm too lazy to think about what that is right now
+// resetState reuses the repo state from our repo state map, if the repo was
+// open before; otherwise it creates a new one.
 func (gui *Gui) resetState(startArgs appTypes.StartArgs) types.Context {
 	worktreePath := gui.git.RepoPaths.WorktreePath()