diff --git a/src/cmd/lib/checkout.ts b/src/cmd/lib/checkout.ts
index de9037f7..4e75553d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/lib/checkout.ts
+++ b/src/cmd/lib/checkout.ts
@@ -144,11 +144,6 @@ export const checkoutCmd = new Command()
               },
             );
 
-            // Note that if they try to check out to the same branch, we can't
-            // even figure that out, because we store the branch ID, not the
-            // branch name. So this warning, while useful, won't show up if they
-            // are checking out FROM a branch that has been deleted and currently
-            // does not exist.
             if (currentBranchData.name === branchName) {
               spinner.warn(
                 `You are already on branch "${dryCheckoutResult.fromBranch.name}"`,
diff --git a/src/cmd/lib/clone.ts b/src/cmd/lib/clone.ts
index b7709531..7642ae8f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/lib/clone.ts
+++ b/src/cmd/lib/clone.ts
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ export const cloneCmd = new Command()
           rootPath: clonePath,
           valName,
           username: ownerName,
+          branchName,
         });
 
         if (editorFiles) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/tests/checkout_test.ts b/src/cmd/tests/checkout_test.ts
index 9a5e09ef..cdda460f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/tests/checkout_test.ts
+++ b/src/cmd/tests/checkout_test.ts
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@ import { doWithNewVal } from "~/vt/lib/tests/utils.ts";
 import { doWithTempDir } from "~/vt/lib/utils/misc.ts";
 import { join } from "@std/path";
 import sdk from "~/sdk.ts";
-import { runVtCommand, streamVtCommand } from "~/cmd/tests/utils.ts";
-import { assert, assertStringIncludes } from "@std/assert";
+import {
+  readPersistedBranchName,
+  runVtCommand,
+  streamVtCommand,
+} from "~/cmd/tests/utils.ts";
+import { assert, assertEquals, assertStringIncludes } from "@std/assert";
 import { exists } from "@std/fs";
 import type ValTown from "@valtown/sdk";
 
@@ -50,6 +54,12 @@ Deno.test({
             tmpDir,
           );
 
+          assertEquals(
+            await readPersistedBranchName(fullPath),
+            "main",
+            "clone should persist the checked-out branch name",
+          );
+
           // Make a remote change to main branch after cloning
           await sdk.vals.files.update(
             val.id,
@@ -85,6 +95,12 @@ Deno.test({
             "feature.ts should exist after checkout; we're not on feature branch",
           );
 
+          assertEquals(
+            await readPersistedBranchName(fullPath),
+            "feature-branch",
+            "checkout should persist the target branch name",
+          );
+
           const [statusOutput] = await runVtCommand(["status"], fullPath);
           assertStringIncludes(
             statusOutput,
@@ -147,6 +163,12 @@ Deno.test({
             checkoutOutput,
             'Created and switched to new branch "feature-with-changes"',
           );
+
+          assertEquals(
+            await readPersistedBranchName(fullPath),
+            "feature-with-changes",
+            "checkout -b should persist the new branch name",
+          );
         });
 
         await t.step("verify local changes are preserved", async () => {
diff --git a/src/cmd/tests/clone_test.ts b/src/cmd/tests/clone_test.ts
index 3eebd05e..f7ab6061 100644
--- a/src/cmd/tests/clone_test.ts
+++ b/src/cmd/tests/clone_test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
 import { exists } from "@std/fs";
 import { join } from "@std/path";
 import {
+  readPersistedBranchName,
   runVtCommand,
   streamVtCommand,
   waitForStable,
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import {
 import { doWithTempDir } from "~/vt/lib/utils/misc.ts";
 import sdk, { getCurrentUser, randomValName } from "~/sdk.ts";
 import type { ValFileType } from "~/types.ts";
+import { DEFAULT_BRANCH_NAME } from "~/consts.ts";
 
 Deno.test({
   name: "clone preserves custom deno.json and .vtignore",
@@ -129,6 +131,12 @@ Deno.test({
           ], tmpDir);
           assertStringIncludes(output, "cloned to");
 
+          assertEquals(
+            await readPersistedBranchName(cloneDir),
+            DEFAULT_BRANCH_NAME,
+            "clone should persist the checked-out branch name",
+          );
+
           // Verify the files exist
           const testJsExists = await exists(join(cloneDir, "test.js"));
           assertEquals(testJsExists, true, "test.js should exist");
@@ -148,6 +156,29 @@ Deno.test({
             "content of test_inner.js should match",
           );
         });
+
+        await t.step("clone a non-default branch", async () => {
+          const branchName = "feature-branch";
+          await sdk.vals.branches.create(
+            val.id,
+            { name: branchName, branchId: branch.id },
+          );
+
+          const cloneDir = join(tmpDir, "feature-clone");
+          await runVtCommand([
+            "clone",
+            val.name,
+            cloneDir,
+            branchName,
+            "--no-editor-files",
+          ], tmpDir);
+
+          assertEquals(
+            await readPersistedBranchName(cloneDir),
+            branchName,
+            "clone should persist a non-default checked-out branch name",
+          );
+        });
       });
     });
   },
diff --git a/src/cmd/tests/create_test.ts b/src/cmd/tests/create_test.ts
index 0ac47810..9c0f0e7b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/tests/create_test.ts
+++ b/src/cmd/tests/create_test.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ import sdk, {
   listValItems,
   randomValName,
 } from "~/sdk.ts";
-import { runVtCommand, streamVtCommand } from "~/cmd/tests/utils.ts";
+import {
+  readPersistedBranchName,
+  runVtCommand,
+  streamVtCommand,
+} from "~/cmd/tests/utils.ts";
 import { DEFAULT_BRANCH_NAME } from "~/consts.ts";
 import { delay } from "@std/async";
 
@@ -112,6 +116,12 @@ Deno.test({
             await exists(join(tmpDir, newValName)),
             "val was not cloned to target",
           );
+
+          assertEquals(
+            await readPersistedBranchName(join(tmpDir, newValName)),
+            DEFAULT_BRANCH_NAME,
+            "create should persist the initial branch name",
+          );
         });
       });
     } finally {
diff --git a/src/cmd/tests/remix_test.ts b/src/cmd/tests/remix_test.ts
index 53e51e00..6396cd9d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/tests/remix_test.ts
+++ b/src/cmd/tests/remix_test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import { doWithNewVal } from "~/vt/lib/tests/utils.ts";
 import { join } from "@std/path";
 import sdk, { getCurrentUser } from "~/sdk.ts";
-import { runVtCommand } from "~/cmd/tests/utils.ts";
-import { assert, assertStringIncludes } from "@std/assert";
+import { readPersistedBranchName, runVtCommand } from "~/cmd/tests/utils.ts";
+import { assert, assertEquals, assertStringIncludes } from "@std/assert";
 import { exists } from "@std/fs";
-import { META_FOLDER_NAME } from "~/consts.ts";
+import { DEFAULT_BRANCH_NAME, META_FOLDER_NAME } from "~/consts.ts";
 import { doWithTempDir } from "~/vt/lib/utils/misc.ts";
 
 Deno.test({
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ Deno.test({
             await exists(join(remixedValPath, META_FOLDER_NAME)),
             "remixed Val should have .vt metadata folder",
           );
+
+          assertEquals(
+            await readPersistedBranchName(remixedValPath),
+            DEFAULT_BRANCH_NAME,
+            "remix should persist the initial branch name",
+          );
         });
 
         // Clean up the remixed val
diff --git a/src/cmd/tests/utils.ts b/src/cmd/tests/utils.ts
index 3fee3c99..c252a55d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/tests/utils.ts
+++ b/src/cmd/tests/utils.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { ENTRYPOINT_NAME } from "~/consts.ts";
 import { doWithTempDir } from "~/vt/lib/utils/misc.ts";
 import { parseValUri } from "~/cmd/lib/utils/parsing.ts";
 import { delay } from "@std/async";
+import VTMeta from "~/vt/vt/VTMeta.ts";
 
 /**
  * Creates and spawns a Deno child process for the vt.ts script.
@@ -42,6 +43,15 @@ export function runVtProc(
   return command.spawn();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Reads the branch name persisted in a Val's local VT state file.
+ */
+export async function readPersistedBranchName(
+  rootPath: string,
+): Promise<string | undefined> {
+  return (await new VTMeta(rootPath).loadVtState()).branch.name;
+}
+
 /**
  * Runs the vt.ts script with provided arguments.
  *
diff --git a/src/vt/vt/VTClient.ts b/src/vt/vt/VTClient.ts
index 000b9681..5f84ba22 100644
--- a/src/vt/vt/VTClient.ts
+++ b/src/vt/vt/VTClient.ts
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ export default class VTClient {
 
     await vt.getMeta().saveVtState({
       val: { id: valId },
-      branch: { id: branch.id, version: version },
+      branch: { id: branch.id, name: branch.name, version: version },
     });
 
     return vt;
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ export default class VTClient {
     // Save the VT state
     await vt.getMeta().saveVtState({
       val: { id: valId },
-      branch: { id: branch.id, version },
+      branch: { id: branch.id, name: branch.name, version },
     });
 
     // Perform the clone
@@ -608,6 +608,7 @@ export default class VTClient {
         if (!baseParams.dryRun) {
           if (result.toBranch) {
             vtState.branch.id = result.toBranch.id;
+            vtState.branch.name = result.toBranch.name;
             vtState.branch.version = FIRST_VERSION_NUMBER; // Set version to 1 for the new branch
           }
         }
@@ -637,6 +638,7 @@ export default class VTClient {
       if (!baseParams.dryRun) {
         if (result.toBranch) {
           vtState.branch.id = result.toBranch.id;
+          vtState.branch.name = result.toBranch.name;
           vtState.branch.version = result.toBranch.version; // Use the target branch's version
         }
       }
diff --git a/src/vt/vt/schemas.ts b/src/vt/vt/schemas.ts
index d2142c02..599a1674 100644
--- a/src/vt/vt/schemas.ts
+++ b/src/vt/vt/schemas.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,14 @@ export const VTStateSchema = z
       .catch({ id: "" }),
     branch: z.object({
       id: z.string().uuid(),
+      // Store the exact Val Town branch name in JSON so shell prompts and
+      // other local tooling can read it without making an API call.
+      //
+      // Keep this optional so existing checkouts created before this field was
+      // added continue to load; new state writes populate it whenever the
+      // branch is known. JSON.stringify will safely escape control characters
+      // if a branch name is displayed by bash/zsh prompt integrations.
+      name: z.string().optional(),
       version: z.number().gte(0),
     }),
     lastRun: z.object({