diff --git a/branch.c b/branch.c
index 31056f7040..83fa1034a7 100644
--- a/branch.c
+++ b/branch.c
@@ -474,9 +474,24 @@ static void prepare_checked_out_branches(void)
 						     &update_refs)) {
 			struct string_list_item *item;
 			for_each_string_list_item(item, &update_refs) {
+				char *resolved_ref;
+				int flags = 0;
+
 				register_checked_out_branch("", item->string,
 							    wt->path,
 							    BRANCH_CHECKOUT_KIND_UPDATE_REF);
+
+				resolved_ref = refs_resolve_refdup(
+					get_main_ref_store(the_repository),
+					item->string, RESOLVE_REF_READING,
+					NULL, &flags);
+				if (resolved_ref && (flags & REF_ISSYMREF)) {
+					char *old = strmap_put(
+						&current_checked_out_branches,
+						resolved_ref, xstrdup(wt->path));
+					free(old);
+				}
+				free(resolved_ref);
 			}
 			string_list_clear(&update_refs, 1);
 		}
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 002e1c95bd..bacd6aef8e 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -6549,34 +6549,65 @@ struct todo_add_branch_context {
 	size_t items_alloc;
 	struct strbuf *buf;
 	struct string_list refs_to_oids;
+	struct string_list symref_update_targets;
 };
 
 static int add_decorations_to_list(const struct commit *commit,
 				   struct todo_add_branch_context *ctx)
 {
 	const struct name_decoration *decoration = get_name_decoration(&commit->object);
-	const char *head_ref = refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(get_main_ref_store(the_repository),
-						       "HEAD",
-						       RESOLVE_REF_READING,
-						       NULL,
-						       NULL);
+	struct ref_store *refs = get_main_ref_store(the_repository);
+	char *head_ref = refs_resolve_refdup(refs, "HEAD",
+					     RESOLVE_REF_READING,
+					     NULL, NULL);
 
 	while (decoration) {
 		struct todo_item *item;
 		const char *path;
+		const char *checked_ref;
+		char *resolved_ref;
+		int flags = 0;
 		size_t base_offset = ctx->buf->len;
 
 		/*
-		 * If the branch is the current HEAD, then it will be
-		 * updated by the default rebase behavior.
-		 * Exclude it from the list of refs to update,
-		 * as well as any non-branch decorations.
 		 * Non-branch decorations may be present if the pretty format
 		 * includes "%d", which would have loaded all refs
 		 * into the global decoration table.
 		 */
-		if ((head_ref && !strcmp(head_ref, decoration->name)) ||
-		    (decoration->type != DECORATION_REF_LOCAL)) {
+		if (decoration->type != DECORATION_REF_LOCAL) {
+			decoration = decoration->next;
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		resolved_ref = refs_resolve_refdup(refs, decoration->name,
+						      RESOLVE_REF_READING,
+						      NULL, &flags);
+		if (resolved_ref && (flags & REF_ISSYMREF) &&
+		    starts_with(resolved_ref, "refs/heads/")) {
+			free(resolved_ref);
+			decoration = decoration->next;
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		/*
+		 * If the branch is the current HEAD, then it will be
+		 * updated by the default rebase behavior.
+		 */
+		if (head_ref && !strcmp(head_ref, decoration->name)) {
+			free(resolved_ref);
+			decoration = decoration->next;
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		path = branch_checked_out(decoration->name);
+		if (!path && resolved_ref && (flags & REF_ISSYMREF)) {
+			checked_ref = resolved_ref;
+			path = branch_checked_out(checked_ref);
+		}
+		if (!path && resolved_ref && (flags & REF_ISSYMREF) &&
+		    string_list_has_string(&ctx->symref_update_targets,
+					   resolved_ref)) {
+			free(resolved_ref);
 			decoration = decoration->next;
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -6588,13 +6619,17 @@ static int add_decorations_to_list(const struct commit *commit,
 		memset(item, 0, sizeof(*item));
 
 		/* If the branch is checked out, then leave a comment instead. */
-		if ((path = branch_checked_out(decoration->name))) {
+		if (path) {
 			item->command = TODO_COMMENT;
 			strbuf_commented_addf(ctx->buf, comment_line_str,
 					      "Ref %s checked out at '%s'\n",
 					      decoration->name, path);
 		} else {
 			struct string_list_item *sti;
+
+			if (resolved_ref && (flags & REF_ISSYMREF))
+				string_list_insert(&ctx->symref_update_targets,
+						   resolved_ref);
 			item->command = TODO_UPDATE_REF;
 			strbuf_addf(ctx->buf, "%s\n", decoration->name);
 
@@ -6608,9 +6643,11 @@ static int add_decorations_to_list(const struct commit *commit,
 		item->arg_len = ctx->buf->len - base_offset;
 		ctx->items_nr++;
 
+		free(resolved_ref);
 		decoration = decoration->next;
 	}
 
+	free(head_ref);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -6624,6 +6661,7 @@ static int todo_list_add_update_ref_commands(struct todo_list *todo_list)
 	struct todo_add_branch_context ctx = {
 		.buf = &todo_list->buf,
 		.refs_to_oids = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP,
+		.symref_update_targets = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP,
 	};
 
 	ctx.items_alloc = 2 * todo_list->nr + 1;
@@ -6649,6 +6687,7 @@ static int todo_list_add_update_ref_commands(struct todo_list *todo_list)
 	res = write_update_refs_state(&ctx.refs_to_oids);
 
 	string_list_clear(&ctx.refs_to_oids, 1);
+	string_list_clear(&ctx.symref_update_targets, 0);
 
 	if (res) {
 		/* we failed, so clean up the new list. */
diff --git a/t/t3400-rebase.sh b/t/t3400-rebase.sh
index accaaba4d4..41d4f66588 100755
--- a/t/t3400-rebase.sh
+++ b/t/t3400-rebase.sh
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ test_expect_success 'git rebase --update-ref with core.commentChar and branch on
 	GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR="cat >actual" git -c core.commentChar=% \
 		 rebase -i --update-refs base &&
 	test_grep "% Ref refs/heads/wt-topic checked out at" actual &&
-	test_grep "% Ref refs/heads/topic2 checked out at" actual
+	test_grep ! "% Ref refs/heads/topic2 checked out at" actual
 '
 
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
index 7a3127e8a9..5ffb544a65 100755
--- a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
+++ b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
@@ -1986,15 +1986,23 @@ test_expect_success '--update-refs ignores non-branch decorations' '
 	) &&
 	grep ^update-ref todo >actual &&
 	test_write_lines "update-ref refs/heads/no-conflict-branch" >expect &&
+	test_grep ! "^# Ref refs/heads/update-refs checked out" todo &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success '--update-refs updates refs correctly' '
+	test_when_finished "
+		test_might_fail git symbolic-ref -d refs/heads/no-conflict-branch-alias &&
+		test_might_fail git symbolic-ref -d refs/heads/second-alias
+	" &&
 	git checkout -B update-refs no-conflict-branch &&
 	git branch -f base HEAD~4 &&
 	git branch -f first HEAD~3 &&
 	git branch -f second HEAD~3 &&
 	git branch -f third HEAD~1 &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/no-conflict-branch-alias \
+		refs/heads/no-conflict-branch &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/second-alias refs/heads/second &&
 	test_commit extra2 fileX &&
 	git commit --amend --fixup=L &&
 
@@ -2002,8 +2010,16 @@ test_expect_success '--update-refs updates refs correctly' '
 
 	test_cmp_rev HEAD~3 refs/heads/first &&
 	test_cmp_rev HEAD~3 refs/heads/second &&
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD~3 refs/heads/second-alias &&
 	test_cmp_rev HEAD~1 refs/heads/third &&
 	test_cmp_rev HEAD refs/heads/no-conflict-branch &&
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD refs/heads/no-conflict-branch-alias &&
+	test_write_lines refs/heads/no-conflict-branch >expect &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/no-conflict-branch-alias >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	test_write_lines refs/heads/second >expect &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/second-alias >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 
 	q_to_tab >expect <<-\EOF &&
 	Successfully rebased and updated refs/heads/update-refs.
@@ -2019,6 +2035,78 @@ test_expect_success '--update-refs updates refs correctly' '
 	test_cmp expect err.trimmed
 '
 
+test_expect_success '--update-refs checks resolved non-branch symref target' '
+	test_when_finished "
+		git worktree remove --force checked-out-target-wt &&
+		git symbolic-ref -d refs/heads/non-branch-alias &&
+		git tag -d checked-out-target
+	" &&
+	git tag checked-out-target HEAD~1 &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/non-branch-alias refs/tags/checked-out-target &&
+	git worktree add --detach checked-out-target-wt checked-out-target &&
+	git -C checked-out-target-wt symbolic-ref HEAD refs/tags/checked-out-target &&
+
+	GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR="cat >todo" git rebase -i --update-refs HEAD~2 &&
+
+	test_grep "^# Ref refs/heads/non-branch-alias checked out at" todo &&
+	test_write_lines refs/tags/checked-out-target >expect &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/non-branch-alias >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--update-refs deduplicates non-branch symref targets' '
+	test_when_finished "
+		git symbolic-ref -d refs/heads/non-branch-alias-one &&
+		git symbolic-ref -d refs/heads/non-branch-alias-two &&
+		git tag -d shared-non-branch-target
+	" &&
+	git tag shared-non-branch-target HEAD~1 &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/non-branch-alias-one \
+		refs/tags/shared-non-branch-target &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/non-branch-alias-two \
+		refs/tags/shared-non-branch-target &&
+
+	GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR=: git rebase -i --force-rebase --update-refs HEAD~2 &&
+
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD~1 refs/heads/non-branch-alias-one &&
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD~1 refs/heads/non-branch-alias-two &&
+	test_write_lines refs/tags/shared-non-branch-target >expect &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/non-branch-alias-one >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/non-branch-alias-two >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--update-refs honors non-branch symref reservations' '
+	test_when_finished "
+		test_might_fail git worktree remove --force reserved-target-wt &&
+		test_might_fail git symbolic-ref -d \
+			refs/heads/reserved-non-branch-alias-one &&
+		test_might_fail git symbolic-ref -d \
+			refs/heads/reserved-non-branch-alias-two &&
+		test_might_fail git tag -d reserved-non-branch-target
+	" &&
+	git tag reserved-non-branch-target HEAD~1 &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/reserved-non-branch-alias-one \
+		refs/tags/reserved-non-branch-target &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/reserved-non-branch-alias-two \
+		refs/tags/reserved-non-branch-target &&
+	git worktree add --detach reserved-target-wt HEAD &&
+	wt_gitdir=$(git -C reserved-target-wt rev-parse --absolute-git-dir) &&
+	mkdir -p "$wt_gitdir/rebase-merge" &&
+	old_oid=$(git rev-parse refs/heads/reserved-non-branch-alias-one) &&
+	test_write_lines refs/heads/reserved-non-branch-alias-one \
+		"$old_oid" "$old_oid" >"$wt_gitdir/rebase-merge/update-refs" &&
+
+	GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR="cat >todo" git rebase -i --update-refs HEAD~2 &&
+
+	test_grep "^# Ref refs/heads/reserved-non-branch-alias-one checked out at" \
+		todo &&
+	test_grep "^# Ref refs/heads/reserved-non-branch-alias-two checked out at" \
+		todo &&
+	test_grep ! "^update-ref refs/heads/reserved-non-branch-alias" todo
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'respect user edits to update-ref steps' '
 	git checkout -B update-refs-break no-conflict-branch &&
 	git branch -f base HEAD~4 &&