diff --git a/.claude/settings.local.json b/.claude/settings.local.json
index 9400d51..0817c64 100644
--- a/.claude/settings.local.json
+++ b/.claude/settings.local.json
@@ -31,7 +31,10 @@
       "Bash(grep -n \"input,\\\\|select,\\\\|input {\\\\|select {\\\\|.repo-form input\\\\|input:focus\\\\|::placeholder\" src/app.css)",
       "Bash(sudo -n true)",
       "Bash(rustc --version)",
-      "Read(//mnt/c/Users/cbr/Desktop/src-tauri/src/**)"
+      "Read(//mnt/c/Users/cbr/Desktop/src-tauri/src/**)",
+      "Bash(sudo apt install -y libdbus-1-dev pkg-config)",
+      "Bash(dpkg -l)",
+      "Bash(apt list *)"
     ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/git.rs b/src-tauri/src/git.rs
index 8d514e2..261d07e 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/git.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/git.rs
@@ -988,7 +988,21 @@ pub fn restore_to_commit(path: String, commit: String) -> Result<GitStatus, Stri
     let repo = resolve_repo(&path)?;
     let commit_hash = verify_commit(&repo, &commit)?;
 
-    run_git(&repo, ["reset", "--hard", commit_hash.as_str()])?;
+    // Non-destructive: bring the working tree back to how it looked at `commit` without
+    // moving the branch pointer (unlike `git reset --hard`, which would rewrite history and
+    // hide any newer commits from the log). The result lands as ordinary unstaged changes
+    // that the user reviews in the status panel and stages/commits or discards explicitly.
+    run_git(
+        &repo,
+        [
+            "restore",
+            "--source",
+            commit_hash.as_str(),
+            "--worktree",
+            "--",
+            ".",
+        ],
+    )?;
     status_for_repo(&repo)
 }
 
@@ -3913,7 +3927,7 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn restore_to_commit_resets_branch_to_selected_commit() {
+    fn restore_to_commit_leaves_branch_untouched_and_stages_change_as_unstaged() {
         let repo = init_temp_repo("restore_to_commit");
         commit_initial_file(&repo.path);
         let first_commit = git_output_test(&repo.path, ["rev-parse", "HEAD"]);
@@ -3921,6 +3935,7 @@ mod tests {
         fs::write(repo.path.join("old.txt"), "second\n").expect("second file should be written");
         run_git_test(&repo.path, ["add", "old.txt"]);
         run_git_test(&repo.path, ["commit", "-q", "-m", "second"]);
+        let second_commit = git_output_test(&repo.path, ["rev-parse", "HEAD"]);
 
         let status = restore_to_commit(
             repo.path.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
@@ -3930,9 +3945,20 @@ mod tests {
         let current_commit = git_output_test(&repo.path, ["rev-parse", "HEAD"]);
         let contents = fs::read_to_string(repo.path.join("old.txt")).unwrap();
 
-        assert_eq!(current_commit, first_commit);
+        // The branch must stay exactly where it was: no commit is rewritten or hidden.
+        assert_eq!(current_commit, second_commit);
+        assert_ne!(current_commit, first_commit);
+        // The old content lands in the worktree as a reviewable, unstaged change.
         assert_eq!(contents.replace("\r\n", "\n"), "original\n");
-        assert!(status.clean, "{:?}", status.files);
+        assert!(!status.clean, "{:?}", status.files);
+        assert_eq!(
+            status
+                .files
+                .iter()
+                .find(|f| f.path == "old.txt")
+                .and_then(|f| f.unstaged),
+            Some(FileStatusKind::Modified)
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/src/App.svelte b/src/App.svelte
index 4187cc6..253fcc3 100644
--- a/src/App.svelte
+++ b/src/App.svelte
@@ -1051,7 +1051,7 @@
 
   async function restoreCommit(target: GitCommit) {
     if (!activeRepoPath) return;
-    const confirmed = window.confirm(`Reset current branch to ${target.short_hash}?\n\nThis moves the current branch and discards tracked local changes.`);
+    const confirmed = window.confirm(`Restore working tree to ${target.short_hash}?\n\nThis brings back the files from that commit as unstaged changes so you can review and commit them. No commit is removed and the branch stays where it is.`);
     if (!confirmed) return;
     await runOperation(`Restoring ${target.short_hash}`, async () => {
       applyStatus(await restoreToCommit(activeRepoPath, target.hash));
diff --git a/src/lib/components/HistoryPanel.svelte b/src/lib/components/HistoryPanel.svelte
index 2edc4b0..6a5b255 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/HistoryPanel.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/HistoryPanel.svelte
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@
                   <GitBranch size={15} aria-hidden="true" />
                   Branch
                 </button>
-                <button class="btn-sm" type="button" onclick={() => onRestoreCommit(item)} disabled={isBusy} title="Reset current branch to this commit">
+                <button class="btn-sm" type="button" onclick={() => onRestoreCommit(item)} disabled={isBusy} title="Bring this commit's files into your working tree as unstaged changes (no history is changed)">
                   <RotateCcw size={15} aria-hidden="true" />
                   Restore
                 </button>