diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Git/GitService.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Git/GitService.cs
index 8cf5466..c524473 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Git/GitService.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Git/GitService.cs
@@ -160,6 +160,13 @@ public sealed class GitService
         return stdout.Trim();
     }
 
+    public async Task CheckoutBranchAsync(string repoDir, string branchName, CancellationToken ct = default)
+    {
+        var (exitCode, _, stderr) = await RunGitAsync(repoDir, ["checkout", branchName], ct);
+        if (exitCode != 0)
+            throw new InvalidOperationException($"git checkout '{branchName}' failed (exit {exitCode}): {stderr}");
+    }
+
     public async Task<List<string>> ListLocalBranchesAsync(string repoDir, CancellationToken ct = default)
     {
         var (exitCode, stdout, stderr) = await RunGitAsync(repoDir,
diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Services/TaskMergeService.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Services/TaskMergeService.cs
index bdddac3..df54264 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Services/TaskMergeService.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Services/TaskMergeService.cs
@@ -75,6 +75,13 @@ public sealed class TaskMergeService
         if (await _git.HasChangesAsync(list.WorkingDir, ct))
             return Blocked("target working tree has uncommitted changes");
 
+        var currentBranch = await _git.GetCurrentBranchAsync(list.WorkingDir, ct);
+        if (!string.Equals(currentBranch, targetBranch, StringComparison.Ordinal))
+        {
+            try { await _git.CheckoutBranchAsync(list.WorkingDir, targetBranch, ct); }
+            catch (Exception ex) { return Blocked($"failed to switch target branch: {ex.Message}"); }
+        }
+
         var (exitCode, stderr) = await _git.MergeNoFfAsync(list.WorkingDir, wt.BranchName, commitMessage, ct);
         if (exitCode != 0)
         {
diff --git a/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Runner/GitServiceMergeTests.cs b/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Runner/GitServiceMergeTests.cs
index d97031b..323b1f9 100644
--- a/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Runner/GitServiceMergeTests.cs
+++ b/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Runner/GitServiceMergeTests.cs
@@ -155,6 +155,20 @@ public class GitServiceMergeTests : IDisposable
         Assert.False(await git.IsMidMergeAsync(repo.RepoDir));
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task CheckoutBranchAsync_ExistingBranch_SwitchesBranch()
+    {
+        if (!GitRepoFixture.IsGitAvailable()) return;
+        var repo = NewRepo();
+        GitRepoFixture.RunGit(repo.RepoDir, "branch", "feature/checkout-test");
+
+        var git = new GitService();
+        await git.CheckoutBranchAsync(repo.RepoDir, "feature/checkout-test");
+
+        var current = await git.GetCurrentBranchAsync(repo.RepoDir);
+        Assert.Equal("feature/checkout-test", current);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task ListConflictedFilesAsync_MidConflict_ReturnsConflictedFile()
     {
diff --git a/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Services/TaskMergeServiceTests.cs b/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Services/TaskMergeServiceTests.cs
index e690a2d..a61867c 100644
--- a/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Services/TaskMergeServiceTests.cs
+++ b/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Services/TaskMergeServiceTests.cs
@@ -293,6 +293,64 @@ public class TaskMergeServiceTests : IDisposable
         Assert.Equal("blocked", result.Status);
         Assert.Contains("uncommitted", result.ErrorMessage ?? "");
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task MergeAsync_TargetBranchDifferentFromHead_ChecksOutBeforeMerging()
+    {
+        if (!GitRepoFixture.IsGitAvailable()) return;
+
+        var repo = NewRepo();
+        var db = NewDb();
+        var (list, task) = await SeedListAndTask(db, workingDir: repo.RepoDir, status: TaskStatus.Done);
+
+        // Create a feature branch in the repo (from current HEAD).
+        GitRepoFixture.RunGit(repo.RepoDir, "branch", "feature/target");
+
+        var wtMgr = BuildWorktreeManager(db);
+        var wtCtx = await wtMgr.CreateAsync(task, list, CancellationToken.None);
+        _wtCleanups.Add((repo.RepoDir, wtCtx.WorktreePath));
+
+        File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(wtCtx.WorktreePath, "feat.txt"), "data\n");
+        await wtMgr.CommitIfChangedAsync(wtCtx, task, list, CancellationToken.None);
+
+        var (svc, _) = BuildService(db);
+        // Repo is currently on main/master; request merge into feature/target.
+        var result = await svc.MergeAsync(task.Id, "feature/target", removeWorktree: false,
+            commitMessage: "Merge into feature", ct: CancellationToken.None);
+
+        Assert.Equal("merged", result.Status);
+
+        // HEAD must now be feature/target.
+        var head = await new GitService().GetCurrentBranchAsync(repo.RepoDir);
+        Assert.Equal("feature/target", head);
+
+        // The merged file must exist on feature/target.
+        Assert.True(File.Exists(Path.Combine(repo.RepoDir, "feat.txt")));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task MergeAsync_TargetBranchDoesNotExist_ReturnsBlocked()
+    {
+        if (!GitRepoFixture.IsGitAvailable()) return;
+
+        var repo = NewRepo();
+        var db = NewDb();
+        var (list, task) = await SeedListAndTask(db, workingDir: repo.RepoDir, status: TaskStatus.Done);
+
+        var wtMgr = BuildWorktreeManager(db);
+        var wtCtx = await wtMgr.CreateAsync(task, list, CancellationToken.None);
+        _wtCleanups.Add((repo.RepoDir, wtCtx.WorktreePath));
+
+        File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(wtCtx.WorktreePath, "x.txt"), "x\n");
+        await wtMgr.CommitIfChangedAsync(wtCtx, task, list, CancellationToken.None);
+
+        var (svc, _) = BuildService(db);
+        var result = await svc.MergeAsync(task.Id, "nonexistent/branch", removeWorktree: false,
+            commitMessage: "Merge", ct: CancellationToken.None);
+
+        Assert.Equal("blocked", result.Status);
+        Assert.Contains("switch target branch", result.ErrorMessage ?? "");
+    }
 }
 
 #region Test doubles