diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 1ee4b2875b25a0..6ab8b471084810 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -6445,28 +6445,46 @@ 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 *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;
+		}
+
+		path = branch_checked_out(decoration->name);
+
+		/*
+		 * 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, unless it is checked out and
+		 * needs a comment in the todo list.
+		 */
+		if (!path && head_ref && !strcmp(head_ref, decoration->name)) {
+			decoration = decoration->next;
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		resolved_ref = refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(refs, decoration->name,
+						       RESOLVE_REF_READING,
+						       NULL, &flags);
+		if (!path && resolved_ref && (flags & REF_ISSYMREF) &&
+		    starts_with(resolved_ref, "refs/heads/")) {
 			decoration = decoration->next;
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -6478,7 +6496,7 @@ 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",
@@ -6501,6 +6519,7 @@ static int add_decorations_to_list(const struct commit *commit,
 		decoration = decoration->next;
 	}
 
+	free(head_ref);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
index 58b3bb0c271aae..bc0b6a31f75085 100755
--- a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
+++ b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
@@ -1979,11 +1979,18 @@ test_expect_success '--update-refs ignores non-branch decorations' '
 '
 
 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 &&
 
@@ -1991,8 +1998,16 @@ 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.