diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/trpc/routers/workspaces/procedures/create.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/trpc/routers/workspaces/procedures/create.ts
index a050b25fc87..72154634f12 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/trpc/routers/workspaces/procedures/create.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/trpc/routers/workspaces/procedures/create.ts
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ export const createCreateProcedures = () => {
 					branchName: z.string().optional(),
 					baseBranch: z.string().optional(),
 					useExistingBranch: z.boolean().optional(),
+					applyPrefix: z.boolean().optional().default(true),
 				}),
 			)
 			.mutation(async ({ input }) => {
@@ -302,30 +303,36 @@ export const createCreateProcedures = () => {
 				const { local, remote } = await listBranches(project.mainRepoPath);
 				const existingBranches = [...local, ...remote];
 
-				const globalSettings = localDb.select().from(settings).get();
-				const projectOverrides = project.branchPrefixMode != null;
-				const prefixMode = projectOverrides
-					? project.branchPrefixMode
-					: (globalSettings?.branchPrefixMode ?? "none");
-				const customPrefix = projectOverrides
-					? project.branchPrefixCustom
-					: globalSettings?.branchPrefixCustom;
-
-				const rawPrefix = await getBranchPrefix({
-					repoPath: project.mainRepoPath,
-					mode: prefixMode,
-					customPrefix,
-				});
-				const rawAuthorPrefix = rawPrefix
-					? sanitizeAuthorPrefix(rawPrefix)
-					: undefined;
+				let branchPrefix: string | undefined;
+				if (input.applyPrefix) {
+					const globalSettings = localDb.select().from(settings).get();
+					const projectOverrides = project.branchPrefixMode != null;
+					const prefixMode = projectOverrides
+						? project.branchPrefixMode
+						: (globalSettings?.branchPrefixMode ?? "none");
+					const customPrefix = projectOverrides
+						? project.branchPrefixCustom
+						: globalSettings?.branchPrefixCustom;
+
+					const rawPrefix = await getBranchPrefix({
+						repoPath: project.mainRepoPath,
+						mode: prefixMode,
+						customPrefix,
+					});
+					const sanitizedPrefix = rawPrefix
+						? sanitizeAuthorPrefix(rawPrefix)
+						: undefined;
 
-				const existingSet = new Set(
-					existingBranches.map((b) => b.toLowerCase()),
-				);
-				const prefixWouldCollide =
-					rawAuthorPrefix && existingSet.has(rawAuthorPrefix.toLowerCase());
-				const authorPrefix = prefixWouldCollide ? undefined : rawAuthorPrefix;
+					const existingSet = new Set(
+						existingBranches.map((b) => b.toLowerCase()),
+					);
+					const prefixWouldCollide =
+						sanitizedPrefix && existingSet.has(sanitizedPrefix.toLowerCase());
+					branchPrefix = prefixWouldCollide ? undefined : sanitizedPrefix;
+				}
+
+				const withPrefix = (name: string): string =>
+					branchPrefix ? `${branchPrefix}/${name}` : name;
 
 				let branch: string;
 				if (existingBranchName) {
@@ -336,10 +343,12 @@ export const createCreateProcedures = () => {
 					}
 					branch = existingBranchName;
 				} else if (input.branchName?.trim()) {
-					const sanitized = sanitizeBranchName(input.branchName);
-					branch = authorPrefix ? `${authorPrefix}/${sanitized}` : sanitized;
+					branch = withPrefix(sanitizeBranchName(input.branchName));
 				} else {
-					branch = generateBranchName({ existingBranches, authorPrefix });
+					branch = generateBranchName({
+						existingBranches,
+						authorPrefix: branchPrefix,
+					});
 				}
 
 				const worktreePath = join(
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/components/NewWorkspaceModal/NewWorkspaceModal.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/components/NewWorkspaceModal/NewWorkspaceModal.tsx
index 3c62c54a302..ce724970e92 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/components/NewWorkspaceModal/NewWorkspaceModal.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/components/NewWorkspaceModal/NewWorkspaceModal.tsx
@@ -47,17 +47,8 @@ import {
 } from "shared/utils/branch";
 import { ExistingWorktreesList } from "./components/ExistingWorktreesList";
 
-function generateBranchFromTitle({
-	title,
-	prefix,
-}: {
-	title: string;
-	prefix: string | null;
-}): string {
-	const slug = sanitizeSegment(title);
-	if (!slug) return "";
-
-	return prefix ? `${prefix}/${slug}` : slug;
+function generateSlugFromTitle(title: string): string {
+	return sanitizeSegment(title);
 }
 
 type Mode = "existing" | "new" | "cloud";
@@ -139,13 +130,16 @@ export function NewWorkspaceModal() {
 		setBaseBranch(null);
 	}, [selectedProjectId]);
 
-	const generatedBranchName = generateBranchFromTitle({
-		title,
-		prefix: resolvedPrefix,
-	});
-	const branchNameToCreate = branchNameEdited
+	const branchSlug = branchNameEdited
 		? sanitizeBranchName(branchName)
-		: generatedBranchName;
+		: generateSlugFromTitle(title);
+
+	const applyPrefix = !branchNameEdited;
+
+	const branchPreview =
+		branchSlug && applyPrefix && resolvedPrefix
+			? `${resolvedPrefix}/${branchSlug}`
+			: branchSlug;
 
 	const resetForm = () => {
 		setSelectedProjectId(null);
@@ -229,8 +223,9 @@ export function NewWorkspaceModal() {
 			const result = await createWorkspace.mutateAsync({
 				projectId: selectedProjectId,
 				name: workspaceName,
-				branchName: branchNameToCreate || undefined,
+				branchName: branchSlug || undefined,
 				baseBranch: effectiveBaseBranch || undefined,
+				applyPrefix,
 			});
 
 			handleClose();
@@ -356,7 +351,7 @@ export function NewWorkspaceModal() {
 										<p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground flex items-center gap-1.5">
 											<GoGitBranch className="size-3" />
 											<span className="font-mono">
-												{branchNameToCreate || "branch-name"}
+												{branchPreview || "branch-name"}
 											</span>
 											<span className="text-muted-foreground/60">
 												from {effectiveBaseBranch}
@@ -386,9 +381,7 @@ export function NewWorkspaceModal() {
 													id="branch"
 													className="h-8 text-sm font-mono"
 													placeholder="auto-generated"
-													value={
-														branchNameEdited ? branchName : generatedBranchName
-													}
+													value={branchNameEdited ? branchName : branchPreview}
 													onChange={(e) =>
 														handleBranchNameChange(e.target.value)
 													}