diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c8ba650..ad10d25 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,9 +2,82 @@
 
 All notable user-facing changes to Gitty are documented in this file.
 
-The project uses calendar versions. Displayed release names use `YYYY.MM.DD`;
-package metadata uses the equivalent numeric form without leading zeroes where
-required by the package manager.
+The project uses calendar-style versions in the form `YYYY.M.PATCH`.
+
+## [2026.8.3] - 2026-08-13
+
+### Added
+
+- Configurable external tools for editors, diff viewers, merge tools,
+  terminals, and file managers, including automatic cross-platform discovery
+  and presets for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Beyond Compare, and other common
+  applications.
+- Repository and file actions for opening content in the configured external
+  application. Supported tools open in a separate window.
+- A choice between Gitty's internal diff/merge views and the configured
+  external applications.
+- Git Notes support for attaching editable notes to commits without rewriting
+  commit history, including fetch and push synchronization.
+- A command palette for quickly opening repository actions, files, and commits.
+- Complete branch-to-branch comparisons for local and remote branches. The
+  comparison dialog shows every changed file and its side-by-side diff.
+- Safe remote branch renaming from the branch context menu.
+
+### Changed
+
+- Redesigned the settings window with tool categories, detected applications,
+  preset dropdowns, and clearer explanations of where each tool is used.
+- Redesigned the history graph's branch presentation with compact labels,
+  hover details, cleaner flag connectors, and branch visibility controls.
+- Reduced the minimum width of the commit history panel so the workspace can
+  be resized more freely.
+- Local-only branches are now identified consistently in the toolbar,
+  repository summary, status bar, and commit graph. Their first push is labeled
+  Publish and configures the remote tracking branch automatically.
+- Git operations now run asynchronously to keep the application responsive
+  during slower repository commands.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Closing supported external tools no longer reports their documented
+  comparison result codes as application errors.
+- External tools that otherwise reuse an existing process are explicitly
+  opened in a new window where supported.
+- Remote branch renaming uses an atomic push with lease checks, preventing an
+  existing destination branch or a newly changed remote branch from being
+  overwritten.
+
+## [2026.8.2] - 2026-08-10
+
+### Changed
+
+- History graph colors remain stable across parent lanes, making longer and
+  branching histories easier to follow.
+- Release artifacts are published to the matching Gitea release automatically
+  without creating duplicate assets.
+- Application shutdown now completes telemetry cleanup more reliably.
+
+## [2026.8.1] - 2026-08-04
+
+### Added
+
+- Paginated commit history that loads older commits on demand instead of
+  limiting the visible repository history to the initial page.
+- A dedicated file-history dialog opened from the explorer context menu.
+- Windows and Ubuntu release publishing plus improved AUR packaging workflows.
+
+### Changed
+
+- File history moved out of the permanent workspace panel into a focused,
+  larger dialog.
+- Dialogs close more consistently with the Escape key.
+- Arch Linux installation documentation now uses the `gitty-desktop` AUR
+  package.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- AUR SSH setup, package installation timeouts, and clone/push retries are more
+  robust in the release workflow.
 
 ## [2026.07.22] - 2026-07-22
 
@@ -88,3 +161,6 @@ required by the package manager.
 [2026.07.22]: https://git.cbsk-tech.de/Christoph/GitLite/releases/tag/2026.7.22
 [2026.07.21]: https://git.cbsk-tech.de/Christoph/GitLite/releases/tag/2026.7.21
 [2026.7.20]: https://git.cbsk-tech.de/Christoph/GitLite/releases/tag/2026.7.20
+[2026.8.3]: https://git.cbsk-tech.de/Christoph/GitLite/releases/tag/2026.8.3
+[2026.8.2]: https://git.cbsk-tech.de/Christoph/GitLite/releases/tag/2026.8.2
+[2026.8.1]: https://git.cbsk-tech.de/Christoph/GitLite/releases/tag/2026.8.1
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 2fb8c11..4f445a2 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "gitty",
-  "version": "2026.8.2",
+  "version": "2026.8.3",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "gitty",
-      "version": "2026.8.2",
+      "version": "2026.8.3",
       "dependencies": {
         "@lucide/svelte": "^1.21.0",
         "@tailwindcss/vite": "^4.3.1",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f6e13f7..59b4370 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "gitty",
-  "version": "2026.8.2",
+  "version": "2026.8.3",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/git.rs b/src-tauri/src/git.rs
index f1ff97c..57af1a1 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/git.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/git.rs
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ pub struct GitBranch {
     pub name: String,
     pub current: bool,
     pub remote: bool,
+    pub upstream: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize)]
@@ -842,7 +843,7 @@ fn branches_for_repo(repo: &Path) -> Result<Vec<GitBranch>, String> {
         repo,
         [
             "for-each-ref",
-            "--format=%(refname)\t%(HEAD)",
+            "--format=%(refname)\t%(HEAD)\t%(upstream:short)",
             "refs/heads",
             "refs/remotes",
         ],
@@ -851,9 +852,10 @@ fn branches_for_repo(repo: &Path) -> Result<Vec<GitBranch>, String> {
     let mut branches = Vec::new();
 
     for line in text.lines() {
-        let Some((ref_name, head_marker)) = line.split_once('\t') else {
-            continue;
-        };
+        let mut parts = line.splitn(3, '\t');
+        let ref_name = parts.next().unwrap_or_default();
+        let head_marker = parts.next().unwrap_or_default();
+        let configured_upstream = parts.next().unwrap_or_default().trim();
 
         let (name, remote) = if let Some(name) = ref_name.strip_prefix("refs/heads/") {
             (name, false)
@@ -870,6 +872,11 @@ fn branches_for_repo(repo: &Path) -> Result<Vec<GitBranch>, String> {
             name: name.to_string(),
             current: head_marker.trim() == "*",
             remote,
+            upstream: if remote || configured_upstream.is_empty() {
+                None
+            } else {
+                Some(configured_upstream.to_string())
+            },
         });
     }
 
@@ -6240,6 +6247,56 @@ mod tests {
         run_git_test(repo, ["commit", "-q", "-m", "init"]);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn branches_report_configured_upstream_and_local_only_state() {
+        let repo = init_temp_repo("branch_upstream_state");
+        commit_initial_file(&repo.path);
+        run_git_test(&repo.path, ["branch", "feature/local-only"]);
+        run_git_test(&repo.path, ["branch", "feature/tracked"]);
+        run_git_test(&repo.path, ["remote", "add", "origin", "."]);
+        run_git_test(
+            &repo.path,
+            [
+                "update-ref",
+                "refs/remotes/origin/feature/published",
+                "HEAD",
+            ],
+        );
+        run_git_test(
+            &repo.path,
+            ["config", "branch.feature/tracked.remote", "origin"],
+        );
+        run_git_test(
+            &repo.path,
+            [
+                "config",
+                "branch.feature/tracked.merge",
+                "refs/heads/feature/published",
+            ],
+        );
+
+        let branches = branches_for_repo(&repo.path).expect("branches should load");
+        let local_only = branches
+            .iter()
+            .find(|branch| branch.name == "feature/local-only")
+            .expect("local-only branch should exist");
+        let tracked = branches
+            .iter()
+            .find(|branch| branch.name == "feature/tracked")
+            .expect("tracked branch should exist");
+        let remote = branches
+            .iter()
+            .find(|branch| branch.name == "origin/feature/published")
+            .expect("remote branch should exist");
+
+        assert_eq!(local_only.upstream, None);
+        assert_eq!(
+            tracked.upstream.as_deref(),
+            Some("origin/feature/published")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(remote.upstream, None);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn commit_notes_can_be_created_updated_and_deleted_without_changing_commit() {
         let repo = init_temp_repo("commit_notes_crud");
diff --git a/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json b/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
index 745251c..41a9a07 100644
--- a/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://schema.tauri.app/config/2",
   "productName": "Gitty",
-  "version": "2026.8.2",
+  "version": "2026.8.3",
   "identifier": "com.gitty",
   "build": {
     "beforeDevCommand": "npm run dev",
diff --git a/src/App.svelte b/src/App.svelte
index be05b94..0984204 100644
--- a/src/App.svelte
+++ b/src/App.svelte
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   import { getCurrentWindow } from "@tauri-apps/api/window";
   import { open as openDialog } from "@tauri-apps/plugin-dialog";
   import { check, type DownloadEvent, type Update } from "@tauri-apps/plugin-updater";
-  import { AlertCircle, Cherry, Download, FolderOpen, GitBranch, GitMerge, LoaderCircle, Plus, Search, Star, X } from "@lucide/svelte";
+  import { AlertCircle, Cherry, CloudOff, Download, FolderOpen, GitBranch, GitMerge, LoaderCircle, Plus, Search, Star, X } from "@lucide/svelte";
   import { beginFrontendShutdown } from "./lib/telemetry";
 
   import TitleBar from "./lib/TitleBar.svelte";
@@ -506,7 +506,11 @@
   $: canCompare = hasRepository && compareFrom.length > 0 && compareTo.length > 0 && compareFrom !== compareTo && !isBusy;
   $: localBranches = branches.filter((b) => !b.remote);
   $: localBranchNames = localBranches.map((b) => b.name);
+  $: localBranchUpstreams = Object.fromEntries(
+    localBranches.flatMap((branch) => branch.upstream ? [[branch.name, branch.upstream]] : []),
+  ) as Record<string, string>;
   $: remoteBranches = branches.filter((b) => b.remote);
+  $: currentBranchIsLocalOnly = Boolean(status?.current_branch) && !status?.upstream;
   $: repoSearchTerm = repoSearch.trim().toLowerCase();
   $: openRepoRows = repoTabs.filter((repo) => repoMatchesSearch(repo, repoSearchTerm));
   $: recentRepoRows = recentRepoPaths
@@ -4445,6 +4449,7 @@
         {operation}
         ahead={status?.ahead ?? 0}
         behind={status?.behind ?? 0}
+        localOnly={currentBranchIsLocalOnly}
         language={appLanguage}
         editorName={editorToolName}
         terminalName={terminalToolName}
@@ -4896,9 +4901,22 @@
             {/if}
           </div>
           <div class="sync-stats" aria-label="Sync state">
-            {#if status?.upstream}<span title="Upstream">{status.upstream}</span>{/if}
-            <strong>{status?.ahead ?? 0} ahead</strong>
-            <strong>{status?.behind ?? 0} behind</strong>
+            {#if currentBranchIsLocalOnly}
+              <span
+                class="sync-local-only"
+                title={appLanguage === "de"
+                  ? "Dieser Branch existiert nur auf diesem Computer. Veröffentlichen richtet den Remote-Branch ein."
+                  : "This branch exists only on this computer. Publish configures its remote branch."}
+              >
+                <CloudOff size={11} aria-hidden="true" />
+                <strong>{appLanguage === "de" ? "Nur lokal" : "Local only"}</strong>
+                <small>{appLanguage === "de" ? "noch nicht veröffentlicht" : "not published yet"}</small>
+              </span>
+            {:else}
+              {#if status?.upstream}<span title="Upstream">{status.upstream}</span>{/if}
+              <strong>{status?.ahead ?? 0} ahead</strong>
+              <strong>{status?.behind ?? 0} behind</strong>
+            {/if}
           </div>
         </div>
 
@@ -4991,6 +5009,7 @@
           {commits}
           {selectedCommitHash}
           {localBranchNames}
+          {localBranchUpstreams}
           remoteBranchNames={remoteBranches.map((branch) => branch.name)}
           activeBranch={status?.current_branch ?? ""}
           activeUpstream={status?.upstream ?? ""}
@@ -5027,8 +5046,14 @@
       <span class="workspace-status-spacer"></span>
       {#if workspaceActive}
         <span class="workspace-branch"><GitBranch size={12} aria-hidden="true" />{status?.current_branch ?? "No branch"}</span>
-        <span class="ahead">↑ {status?.ahead ?? 0}</span>
-        <span class="behind">↓ {status?.behind ?? 0}</span>
+        {#if currentBranchIsLocalOnly}
+          <span class="workspace-local-only" title={appLanguage === "de" ? "Branch noch nicht veröffentlicht" : "Branch not published yet"}>
+            <CloudOff size={11} aria-hidden="true" />{appLanguage === "de" ? "Nur lokal" : "Local only"}
+          </span>
+        {:else}
+          <span class="ahead">↑ {status?.ahead ?? 0}</span>
+          <span class="behind">↓ {status?.behind ?? 0}</span>
+        {/if}
         <span class:active={autoRefreshEnabled} class="workspace-auto">Auto <i aria-hidden="true"></i></span>
       {/if}
       {#if appVersion}<span class="app-version" title={`Gitty version ${appVersion}`}>Gitty v{appVersion}</span>{/if}
diff --git a/src/app.css b/src/app.css
index 737ba1f..6216f74 100644
--- a/src/app.css
+++ b/src/app.css
@@ -736,6 +736,29 @@
   }
   .repo-action-count.behind { color: #7aacff; }
   .repo-action-count.ahead { color: #e0a040; }
+  .repo-action.sync-primary.publish-local {
+    color: #f0bd6b;
+    background: linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(224,160,64,.1), rgba(224,160,64,.045));
+  }
+  .repo-action.sync-primary.publish-local:hover:not(:disabled) {
+    color: #ffd48c;
+    background: rgba(224,160,64,.14);
+  }
+  .repo-action-local-marker {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 3px;
+    height: 16px;
+    padding: 0 4px;
+    border: 1px dashed rgba(240,189,107,.5);
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    color: #f0bd6b;
+    background: rgba(224,160,64,.08);
+    font-family: var(--font-mono);
+    font-size: 7.5px;
+    font-weight: 900;
+    letter-spacing: .04em;
+  }
   .repo-toolbar-divider {
     width: 1px;
     height: 30px;
@@ -1670,6 +1693,27 @@
   .sync-stats strong:first-of-type { color: #e0a040; background: rgba(224,160,64,0.13); }
   .sync-stats strong:last-of-type  { color: #7aacff; background: rgba(122,172,255,0.13); }
   .sync-stats span { color: var(--color-ink-dim); background: rgba(94,110,156,0.13); }
+  .sync-stats .sync-local-only {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 5px;
+    padding: 3px 7px;
+    border: 1px dashed rgba(224,160,64,.38);
+    color: #f0bd6b;
+    background: rgba(224,160,64,.09);
+  }
+  .sync-stats .sync-local-only strong {
+    padding: 0;
+    color: #f0bd6b;
+    background: transparent;
+    font-size: 10.5px;
+    font-weight: 850;
+  }
+  .sync-stats .sync-local-only small {
+    color: var(--color-ink-faint);
+    font-size: 9px;
+    font-weight: 650;
+  }
 
   .top-section {
     display: grid;
@@ -2513,6 +2557,12 @@
     min-width: 0;
     min-height: 20px;
   }
+  .branch-ref-cluster {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    min-width: 0;
+    margin-left: -10px;
+  }
   .compact-ref-chip {
     display: inline-flex;
     align-items: center;
@@ -2536,7 +2586,7 @@
     flex: 0 1 auto;
     max-width: 22px;
     height: 20px;
-    margin-left: -10px;
+    margin-left: 0;
     padding: 0 5px;
     border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--ref-lane-color, #69a7ff) 34%, transparent);
     border-left-width: 2px;
@@ -2552,6 +2602,29 @@
       background 140ms ease,
       box-shadow 140ms ease;
   }
+  .branch-ref-cluster.local-only .compact-ref-chip.branch {
+    border-radius: 0 !important;
+  }
+  .compact-ref-local-marker {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    flex: 0 0 auto;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 3px;
+    height: 20px;
+    margin-left: -1px;
+    padding: 0 5px 0 4px;
+    border: 1px dashed rgba(240,189,107,.58);
+    border-left-style: solid;
+    border-radius: 0 5px 5px 0;
+    color: #f0bd6b;
+    background: linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(224,160,64,.13), rgba(224,160,64,.06));
+    font-family: var(--font-mono);
+    font-size: 7.5px;
+    font-weight: 900;
+    letter-spacing: .05em;
+    line-height: 1;
+    box-shadow: inset 1px 0 0 rgba(240,189,107,.2);
+  }
   .compact-ref-branch-icon {
     flex: 0 0 auto;
     color: var(--ref-lane-color, #69a7ff);
@@ -2713,6 +2786,12 @@
     font-size: 8px;
     font-weight: 800;
   }
+  .commit-ref-detail-item small.local-only {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 3px;
+    color: #d99532;
+  }
 
   .commit-files {
     display: grid;
@@ -5905,6 +5984,17 @@ input:focus, textarea:focus, select:focus { box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px color-mix(in s
 .workspace-health.clean > span { background: #2da44e; }
 .workspace-statusbar .ahead { color: #d9891b; }
 .workspace-statusbar .behind { color: var(--color-primary); }
+.workspace-statusbar .workspace-local-only {
+  padding: 2px 6px;
+  border: 1px dashed rgba(224,160,64,.42);
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  color: #f0bd6b;
+  background: rgba(224,160,64,.08);
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+  font-size: 9px;
+  font-weight: 850;
+  letter-spacing: .02em;
+}
 .workspace-auto i { width: 7px; height: 7px; border-radius: 50%; background: var(--color-ink-faint); }
 .workspace-auto.active i { background: #2da44e; }
 .app-version {
@@ -6140,6 +6230,13 @@ input:focus, textarea:focus, select:focus { box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px color-mix(in s
     linear-gradient(90deg, color-mix(in srgb, var(--ref-lane-color, #315fd6) 14%, #f7faff), #f7faff);
 }
 
+:root[data-theme="light"] .compact-ref-local-marker {
+  border-color: rgba(154,82,0,.46);
+  color: #8b5207;
+  background: linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(217,137,27,.14), rgba(217,137,27,.06));
+  box-shadow: inset 1px 0 0 rgba(154,82,0,.14);
+}
+
 :root[data-theme="light"] .compact-ref-chip.current {
   border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--ref-lane-color, #315fd6) 58%, rgba(49,95,214,.2));
   color: #18345f;
@@ -6709,6 +6806,19 @@ input:focus, textarea:focus, select:focus { box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px color-mix(in s
   color: #0755c8;
   font-weight: 800;
 }
+:root[data-theme="light"] .repo-action.sync-primary.publish-local,
+:root[data-theme="light"] .repo-action-local-marker,
+:root[data-theme="light"] .workspace-statusbar .workspace-local-only {
+  color: #8b5207;
+  border-color: rgba(154,82,0,.4);
+  background: rgba(217,137,27,.09);
+}
+:root[data-theme="light"] .sync-stats .sync-local-only {
+  border-color: rgba(154,82,0,.36);
+  color: #8b5207;
+  background: rgba(217,137,27,.09);
+}
+:root[data-theme="light"] .sync-stats .sync-local-only strong { color: #8b5207; }
 
 /* AI pre-commit review --------------------------------------------------- */
 .commit-review-button {
diff --git a/src/lib/RepoToolbar.svelte b/src/lib/RepoToolbar.svelte
index 96e4d86..2971b3d 100644
--- a/src/lib/RepoToolbar.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/RepoToolbar.svelte
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     ChevronDown,
     Code2,
     CloudDownload,
+    CloudOff,
     Download,
     FolderOpen,
     GitCompare,
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@
   export let operation: string = "";
   export let ahead: number = 0;
   export let behind: number = 0;
+  export let localOnly: boolean = false;
   export let language: "en" | "de" = "en";
   export let editorName: string = "Editor";
   export let terminalName: string = "Terminal";
@@ -45,6 +47,12 @@
   let toolbarElement: HTMLDivElement;
 
   $: isGerman = language === "de";
+  $: pushLabel = localOnly ? (isGerman ? "Veröffentlichen" : "Publish") : "Push";
+  $: pushTitle = localOnly
+    ? (isGerman
+      ? "Dieser Branch existiert nur lokal. Veröffentlichen erstellt den Remote-Branch und richtet das Tracking ein."
+      : "This branch exists only locally. Publish creates the remote branch and configures tracking.")
+    : "Push";
 
   function runHistoryAction(action: () => void) {
     historyOpen = false;
@@ -103,10 +111,13 @@
 
       <button
         class="repo-action sync-primary"
+        class:publish-local={localOnly}
         onclick={onPush}
         disabled={!hasRepository || isBusy}
-        title="Push"
-        aria-label={ahead > 0
+        title={pushTitle}
+        aria-label={localOnly
+          ? pushTitle
+          : ahead > 0
           ? `Push, ${ahead} ${isGerman ? (ahead === 1 ? "lokaler Commit voraus" : "lokale Commits voraus") : (ahead === 1 ? "commit ahead" : "commits ahead")}`
           : "Push"}
       >
@@ -115,8 +126,12 @@
         {:else}
           <Upload size={15} aria-hidden="true" />
         {/if}
-        <span class="repo-action-label">Push</span>
-        {#if ahead > 0}<span class="repo-action-count ahead">↑{ahead}</span>{/if}
+        <span class="repo-action-label">{pushLabel}</span>
+        {#if localOnly}
+          <span class="repo-action-local-marker"><CloudOff size={9} aria-hidden="true" />{isGerman ? "NUR LOKAL" : "LOCAL"}</span>
+        {:else if ahead > 0}
+          <span class="repo-action-count ahead">↑{ahead}</span>
+        {/if}
       </button>
       <div class="repo-history-wrap">
         <button class="repo-action" type="button" onclick={() => { syncOpen = !syncOpen; historyOpen = false; }} disabled={!hasRepository || isBusy} aria-label={isGerman ? "Sync-Optionen" : "Sync options"} aria-haspopup="menu">
diff --git a/src/lib/components/HelpOverlay.svelte b/src/lib/components/HelpOverlay.svelte
index 1d56738..28ce857 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/HelpOverlay.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/HelpOverlay.svelte
@@ -1361,6 +1361,45 @@
     label: "Neu in Gitty",
     description: "Änderungen seit der letzten veröffentlichten Version und wichtige Neuerungen früherer Releases.",
     sections: [
+      {
+        id: "changelog-2026-8-3",
+        title: "Version 2026.8.3",
+        summary: "Dieses Release verbindet Gitty enger mit deinen Entwicklungswerkzeugen und macht Branches, Historie und Vergleiche deutlich leistungsfähiger.",
+        steps: [
+          "Externe Tools: Editor, Diff-Tool, Merge-Tool, Terminal und Dateimanager lassen sich in den neu gestalteten Einstellungen erkennen, auswählen und individuell konfigurieren.",
+          "VS Code, JetBrains-IDEs, Beyond Compare und weitere unterstützte Programme werden in einem eigenen Fenster geöffnet; dokumentierte Ergebnis-Codes werden beim Schließen korrekt behandelt.",
+          "Git Notes: Commits erhalten lokale Notizen, ohne ihre Historie umzuschreiben. Notizen lassen sich bearbeiten, löschen sowie gezielt vom Remote abrufen oder dorthin übertragen.",
+          "Vollständiger Branch-Vergleich: Lokale Branches, Remote-Branches und Commits können direkt ausgewählt und dateiweise im Side-by-Side-Diff verglichen werden.",
+          "Remote-Branches lassen sich im Kontextmenü sicher umbenennen. Gitty schützt dabei vorhandene Ziel-Branches und zwischenzeitlich geänderte Remote-Stände.",
+          "Der überarbeitete Commit-Graph zeigt Branches kompakter, reduziert überladene Commit-Zeilen und blendet zusätzliche Flag-Details beim Darüberfahren ein.",
+          "Noch nicht veröffentlichte Branches sind als „Nur lokal“ erkennbar – in der Werkzeugleiste, Repository-Übersicht, Statuszeile und direkt an der Branch-Flag. Die erste Push-Aktion heißt passend „Veröffentlichen“.",
+          "Branch-Sichtbarkeit, feinere Graph-Verbindungen und ein kleineres Mindestmaß des Verlaufsbereichs verbessern die Übersicht bei großen Repositories.",
+          "Die neue Befehlspalette öffnet Aktionen, Dateien und Commits schneller; asynchrone Git-Befehle halten Gitty auch bei langsameren Operationen reaktionsfähig.",
+        ],
+        note: "Der Branch-Vergleich zeigt die vollständig festgeschriebenen Zustände der beiden Branch-Spitzen. Nicht commitete Änderungen im Arbeitsverzeichnis sind nicht enthalten.",
+      },
+      {
+        id: "changelog-2026-8-2",
+        title: "Version 2026.8.2",
+        summary: "Dieses Release stabilisiert die Darstellung komplexer Verläufe und verbessert die Veröffentlichung neuer Gitty-Versionen.",
+        steps: [
+          "Branch-Farben bleiben über Eltern-Lanes hinweg stabil, sodass sich Linien in längeren und verzweigten Historien leichter verfolgen lassen.",
+          "Release-Artefakte werden automatisch und ohne doppelte Dateien an das passende Gitea-Release angehängt.",
+          "Beim Beenden der Anwendung wird die Telemetrie zuverlässiger abgeschlossen.",
+        ],
+      },
+      {
+        id: "changelog-2026-8-1",
+        title: "Version 2026.8.1",
+        summary: "Dieses Release macht große Commit-Verläufe und die Historie einzelner Dateien leichter zugänglich und verbessert die Paketverteilung.",
+        steps: [
+          "Die Commit-Historie lädt ältere Einträge seitenweise nach und ist nicht mehr auf die erste Ergebnismenge begrenzt.",
+          "Die Dateihistorie öffnet sich aus dem Explorer-Kontextmenü in einem eigenen, größeren Dialog statt in einem dauerhaft belegten Seitenbereich.",
+          "Dialoge reagieren konsistenter auf die Escape-Taste.",
+          "Windows- und Ubuntu-Releases sowie der AUR-Paketablauf wurden erweitert und robuster gemacht.",
+          "Die Arch-Linux-Anleitung verwendet jetzt das AUR-Paket gitty-desktop; SSH-Einrichtung, Zeitlimits und Wiederholungsversuche wurden verbessert.",
+        ],
+      },
       {
         id: "changelog-2026-07-22",
         title: "Version 2026.07.22",
@@ -1411,6 +1450,45 @@
     label: "What's new",
     description: "Changes since the latest published version and notable additions from earlier releases.",
     sections: [
+      {
+        id: "changelog-2026-8-3",
+        title: "Version 2026.8.3",
+        summary: "This release connects Gitty more closely with your development tools and makes branches, history, and comparisons substantially more capable.",
+        steps: [
+          "External tools: editors, diff tools, merge tools, terminals, and file managers can be detected, selected, and customized in the redesigned settings.",
+          "VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Beyond Compare, and other supported applications open in a separate window; documented result codes are handled correctly when they close.",
+          "Git Notes: attach local notes to commits without rewriting history. Notes can be edited, deleted, fetched from a remote, or pushed explicitly.",
+          "Complete branch comparison: choose local branches, remote branches, or commits and inspect every changed file in a side-by-side diff.",
+          "Remote branches can be renamed safely from the context menu. Gitty protects existing destination branches and remote branches that changed after the last fetch.",
+          "The redesigned commit graph presents branches more compactly, reduces crowded commit rows, and reveals additional flag details on hover.",
+          "Unpublished branches are clearly marked as Local only in the toolbar, repository summary, status bar, and on the graph flag. Their first push is labeled Publish.",
+          "Branch visibility controls, refined graph connectors, and a smaller minimum history width improve navigation in large repositories.",
+          "The new command palette opens actions, files, and commits faster; asynchronous Git commands keep Gitty responsive during slower operations.",
+        ],
+        note: "Branch comparison uses the fully committed state at each branch tip. Uncommitted working-tree changes are not included.",
+      },
+      {
+        id: "changelog-2026-8-2",
+        title: "Version 2026.8.2",
+        summary: "This release stabilizes complex history rendering and improves publication of new Gitty versions.",
+        steps: [
+          "Branch colors remain stable across parent lanes, making longer and branching histories easier to follow.",
+          "Release artifacts are attached to the matching Gitea release automatically without uploading duplicates.",
+          "Telemetry cleanup completes more reliably while the application is shutting down.",
+        ],
+      },
+      {
+        id: "changelog-2026-8-1",
+        title: "Version 2026.8.1",
+        summary: "This release makes large commit histories and individual file histories easier to access and improves package distribution.",
+        steps: [
+          "Commit history loads older entries page by page instead of stopping after the initial result set.",
+          "File history opens from the explorer context menu in a dedicated larger dialog instead of occupying a permanent workspace panel.",
+          "Dialogs respond more consistently to the Escape key.",
+          "Windows and Ubuntu publishing plus the AUR package workflow were expanded and made more robust.",
+          "The Arch Linux guide now uses the gitty-desktop AUR package; SSH setup, timeouts, and retry handling were improved.",
+        ],
+      },
       {
         id: "changelog-2026-07-22",
         title: "Version 2026.07.22",
diff --git a/src/lib/components/HistoryPanel.svelte b/src/lib/components/HistoryPanel.svelte
index 12d03c2..00fe798 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/HistoryPanel.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/HistoryPanel.svelte
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-  import { Check, Cherry, ChevronDown, ChevronRight, EllipsisVertical, GitBranch, GitMerge, LoaderCircle, RotateCcw, StickyNote, Tag, X } from "@lucide/svelte";
+  import { Check, Cherry, ChevronDown, ChevronRight, CloudOff, EllipsisVertical, GitBranch, GitMerge, LoaderCircle, RotateCcw, StickyNote, Tag, X } from "@lucide/svelte";
   import type { FileStatusKind, GitCommit, GitCommitFile } from "../types";
 
   interface GraphSegment {
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
     kind: CommitRefKind;
     current: boolean;
     trackedRemote: string;
+    localOnly: boolean;
     representedBranches: string[];
   }
 
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@
   interface Props {
     commits: GitCommit[];
     localBranchNames: string[];
+    localBranchUpstreams: Record<string, string>;
     remoteBranchNames: string[];
     activeBranch: string;
     activeUpstream: string;
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@
   let {
     commits = [],
     localBranchNames = [],
+    localBranchUpstreams = {},
     remoteBranchNames = [],
     activeBranch = "",
     activeUpstream = "",
@@ -541,20 +544,17 @@
     return !localBranchNameSet.has(label) && /(?:^|\/)HEAD(?:\s*->|$)/.test(ref);
   }
 
-  function branchNameWithoutRemote(branch: string): string {
-    const slash = branch.indexOf("/");
-    return slash === -1 ? branch : branch.slice(slash + 1);
-  }
-
   function remoteName(branch: string): string {
     return branch.split("/", 1)[0] ?? branch;
   }
 
+  function configuredUpstreamForBranch(local: string): string {
+    return localBranchUpstreams[local] ?? (local === activeBranch ? activeUpstream : "");
+  }
+
   function matchingRemoteBranch(local: string, remoteBranches: string[]): string {
-    if (local === activeBranch && activeUpstream && remoteBranches.includes(activeUpstream)) {
-      return activeUpstream;
-    }
-    return remoteBranches.find((remote) => branchNameWithoutRemote(remote) === local) ?? "";
+    const configuredUpstream = configuredUpstreamForBranch(local);
+    return configuredUpstream && remoteBranches.includes(configuredUpstream) ? configuredUpstream : "";
   }
 
   function compareBranchDecorations(left: CommitBranchDecoration, right: CommitBranchDecoration): number {
@@ -594,6 +594,7 @@
 
     const remainingRemote = [...remote];
     const branches: CommitBranchDecoration[] = [...local].map((label) => {
+      const configuredUpstream = configuredUpstreamForBranch(label);
       const trackedRemote = matchingRemoteBranch(label, remainingRemote);
       if (trackedRemote) remainingRemote.splice(remainingRemote.indexOf(trackedRemote), 1);
       return {
@@ -601,6 +602,7 @@
         kind: "local",
         current: label === activeBranch,
         trackedRemote,
+        localOnly: !configuredUpstream,
         representedBranches: trackedRemote ? [label, trackedRemote] : [label],
       };
     });
@@ -611,6 +613,7 @@
         kind: "head",
         current: true,
         trackedRemote: "",
+        localOnly: false,
         representedBranches: [],
       });
     }
@@ -620,6 +623,7 @@
       kind: "remote" as const,
       current: false,
       trackedRemote: "",
+      localOnly: false,
       representedBranches: [label],
     })));
 
@@ -657,6 +661,7 @@
   }
 
   function branchDecorationTitle(branch: CommitBranchDecoration): string {
+    if (branch.localOnly) return `${branch.label} · Local only — not published yet`;
     if (branch.trackedRemote) return `${branch.label} · up to date with ${branch.trackedRemote}`;
     const status = branchStatusLabel(branch);
     if (status) return `${branch.label} · ${status}`;
@@ -851,19 +856,26 @@
               <div class="commit-ref-area">
                 <div class="commit-ref-strip" aria-label="Commit references">
                   {#if refSummary.primaryBranch}
-                    <span
-                      class="compact-ref-chip branch"
-                      class:current={refSummary.primaryBranch.current}
-                      class:remote={refSummary.primaryBranch.kind === "remote"}
-                      title={branchDecorationTitle(refSummary.primaryBranch)}
-                    >
-                      <GitBranch class="compact-ref-branch-icon" size={10} aria-hidden="true" />
-                      <span>{refSummary.primaryBranch.label}</span>
-                      {#if branchStatusLabel(refSummary.primaryBranch)}
-                        <small class:up-to-date={Boolean(refSummary.primaryBranch.trackedRemote)}>
-                          {#if refSummary.primaryBranch.trackedRemote}<Check size={9} aria-hidden="true" />{/if}
-                          {branchStatusLabel(refSummary.primaryBranch).replace(/^✓\s*/, "")}
-                        </small>
+                    <span class="branch-ref-cluster" class:local-only={refSummary.primaryBranch.localOnly}>
+                      <span
+                        class="compact-ref-chip branch"
+                        class:current={refSummary.primaryBranch.current}
+                        class:remote={refSummary.primaryBranch.kind === "remote"}
+                        title={branchDecorationTitle(refSummary.primaryBranch)}
+                      >
+                        <GitBranch class="compact-ref-branch-icon" size={10} aria-hidden="true" />
+                        <span>{refSummary.primaryBranch.label}</span>
+                        {#if branchStatusLabel(refSummary.primaryBranch)}
+                          <small class:up-to-date={Boolean(refSummary.primaryBranch.trackedRemote)}>
+                            {#if refSummary.primaryBranch.trackedRemote}<Check size={9} aria-hidden="true" />{/if}
+                            {branchStatusLabel(refSummary.primaryBranch).replace(/^✓\s*/, "")}
+                          </small>
+                        {/if}
+                      </span>
+                      {#if refSummary.primaryBranch.localOnly}
+                        <span class="compact-ref-local-marker" title="This branch exists only locally and has not been published yet">
+                          <CloudOff size={9} aria-hidden="true" />LOCAL
+                        </span>
                       {/if}
                     </span>
                   {/if}
@@ -899,6 +911,7 @@
                               <i aria-hidden="true"></i>{branch.label}
                               {#if branch.current}<small>Current</small>{/if}
                               {#if branch.trackedRemote}<small>{branch.trackedRemote}</small>{/if}
+                              {#if branch.localOnly}<small class="local-only"><CloudOff size={9} aria-hidden="true" />Local only</small>{/if}
                             </span>
                           {/each}
                         </div>
diff --git a/src/lib/types.ts b/src/lib/types.ts
index 99d6b6f..6e51901 100644
--- a/src/lib/types.ts
+++ b/src/lib/types.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ export interface GitBranch {
   name: string;
   current: boolean;
   remote: boolean;
+  upstream: string | null;
 }
 
 export interface GitWorktree {