diff --git a/branch.c b/branch.c
index 9415ee3f34..ba3914adf5 100644
--- a/branch.c
+++ b/branch.c
@@ -840,30 +840,3 @@ void die_if_checked_out(const char *branch, int ignore_current_worktree)
 
 	free_worktrees(worktrees);
 }
-
-int replace_each_worktree_head_symref(const char *oldref, const char *newref,
-				      const char *logmsg)
-{
-	int ret = 0;
-	struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees();
-	int i;
-
-	for (i = 0; worktrees[i]; i++) {
-		struct ref_store *refs;
-
-		if (worktrees[i]->is_detached)
-			continue;
-		if (!worktrees[i]->head_ref)
-			continue;
-		if (strcmp(oldref, worktrees[i]->head_ref))
-			continue;
-
-		refs = get_worktree_ref_store(worktrees[i]);
-		if (refs_create_symref(refs, "HEAD", newref, logmsg))
-			ret = error(_("HEAD of working tree %s is not updated"),
-				    worktrees[i]->path);
-	}
-
-	free_worktrees(worktrees);
-	return ret;
-}
diff --git a/branch.h b/branch.h
index ef56103c05..30c01aed73 100644
--- a/branch.h
+++ b/branch.h
@@ -155,12 +155,4 @@ int read_branch_desc(struct strbuf *, const char *branch_name);
  */
 void die_if_checked_out(const char *branch, int ignore_current_worktree);
 
-/*
- * Update all per-worktree HEADs pointing at the old ref to point the new ref.
- * This will be used when renaming a branch. Returns 0 if successful, non-zero
- * otherwise.
- */
-int replace_each_worktree_head_symref(const char *oldref, const char *newref,
-				      const char *logmsg);
-
 #endif
diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 501c47657c..e6c2655af6 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -512,9 +512,9 @@ static void print_current_branch_name(void)
 		die(_("HEAD (%s) points outside of refs/heads/"), refname);
 }
 
-static void reject_rebase_or_bisect_branch(const char *target)
+static void reject_rebase_or_bisect_branch(struct worktree **worktrees,
+					   const char *target)
 {
-	struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	int i;
 
 	for (i = 0; worktrees[i]; i++) {
@@ -531,17 +531,50 @@ static void reject_rebase_or_bisect_branch(const char *target)
 			die(_("Branch %s is being bisected at %s"),
 			    target, wt->path);
 	}
+}
 
-	free_worktrees(worktrees);
+/*
+ * Update all per-worktree HEADs pointing at the old ref to point the new ref.
+ * This will be used when renaming a branch. Returns 0 if successful, non-zero
+ * otherwise.
+ */
+static int replace_each_worktree_head_symref(struct worktree **worktrees,
+					     const char *oldref, const char *newref,
+					     const char *logmsg)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; worktrees[i]; i++) {
+		struct ref_store *refs;
+
+		if (worktrees[i]->is_detached)
+			continue;
+		if (!worktrees[i]->head_ref)
+			continue;
+		if (strcmp(oldref, worktrees[i]->head_ref))
+			continue;
+
+		refs = get_worktree_ref_store(worktrees[i]);
+		if (refs_create_symref(refs, "HEAD", newref, logmsg))
+			ret = error(_("HEAD of working tree %s is not updated"),
+				    worktrees[i]->path);
+	}
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
+#define IS_HEAD 1
+#define IS_ORPHAN 2
+
 static void copy_or_rename_branch(const char *oldname, const char *newname, int copy, int force)
 {
 	struct strbuf oldref = STRBUF_INIT, newref = STRBUF_INIT, logmsg = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf oldsection = STRBUF_INIT, newsection = STRBUF_INIT;
 	const char *interpreted_oldname = NULL;
 	const char *interpreted_newname = NULL;
-	int recovery = 0;
+	int recovery = 0, oldref_usage = 0;
+	struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees();
 
 	if (strbuf_check_branch_ref(&oldref, oldname)) {
 		/*
@@ -554,8 +587,19 @@ static void copy_or_rename_branch(const char *oldname, const char *newname, int
 			die(_("Invalid branch name: '%s'"), oldname);
 	}
 
-	if ((copy || strcmp(head, oldname)) && !ref_exists(oldref.buf)) {
-		if (copy && !strcmp(head, oldname))
+	for (int i = 0; worktrees[i]; i++) {
+		struct worktree *wt = worktrees[i];
+
+		if (wt->head_ref && !strcmp(oldref.buf, wt->head_ref)) {
+			oldref_usage |= IS_HEAD;
+			if (is_null_oid(&wt->head_oid))
+				oldref_usage |= IS_ORPHAN;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if ((copy || !(oldref_usage & IS_HEAD)) && !ref_exists(oldref.buf)) {
+		if (oldref_usage & IS_HEAD)
 			die(_("No commit on branch '%s' yet."), oldname);
 		else
 			die(_("No branch named '%s'."), oldname);
@@ -570,7 +614,7 @@ static void copy_or_rename_branch(const char *oldname, const char *newname, int
 	else
 		validate_new_branchname(newname, &newref, force);
 
-	reject_rebase_or_bisect_branch(oldref.buf);
+	reject_rebase_or_bisect_branch(worktrees, oldref.buf);
 
 	if (!skip_prefix(oldref.buf, "refs/heads/", &interpreted_oldname) ||
 	    !skip_prefix(newref.buf, "refs/heads/", &interpreted_newname)) {
@@ -584,8 +628,7 @@ static void copy_or_rename_branch(const char *oldname, const char *newname, int
 		strbuf_addf(&logmsg, "Branch: renamed %s to %s",
 			    oldref.buf, newref.buf);
 
-	if (!copy &&
-	    (!head || strcmp(oldname, head) || !is_null_oid(&head_oid)) &&
+	if (!copy && !(oldref_usage & IS_ORPHAN) &&
 	    rename_ref(oldref.buf, newref.buf, logmsg.buf))
 		die(_("Branch rename failed"));
 	if (copy && copy_existing_ref(oldref.buf, newref.buf, logmsg.buf))
@@ -600,8 +643,9 @@ static void copy_or_rename_branch(const char *oldname, const char *newname, int
 				interpreted_oldname);
 	}
 
-	if (!copy &&
-	    replace_each_worktree_head_symref(oldref.buf, newref.buf, logmsg.buf))
+	if (!copy && (oldref_usage & IS_HEAD) &&
+	    replace_each_worktree_head_symref(worktrees, oldref.buf, newref.buf,
+					      logmsg.buf))
 		die(_("Branch renamed to %s, but HEAD is not updated!"), newname);
 
 	strbuf_release(&logmsg);
@@ -616,6 +660,7 @@ static void copy_or_rename_branch(const char *oldname, const char *newname, int
 	strbuf_release(&newref);
 	strbuf_release(&oldsection);
 	strbuf_release(&newsection);
+	free_worktrees(worktrees);
 }
 
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(edit_description, "EDIT_DESCRIPTION")
@@ -834,7 +879,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 		strbuf_addf(&branch_ref, "refs/heads/%s", branch_name);
 		if (!ref_exists(branch_ref.buf))
-			error((!argc || !strcmp(head, branch_name))
+			error((!argc || branch_checked_out(branch_ref.buf))
 			      ? _("No commit on branch '%s' yet.")
 			      : _("No branch named '%s'."),
 			      branch_name);
@@ -879,7 +924,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		}
 
 		if (!ref_exists(branch->refname)) {
-			if (!argc || !strcmp(head, branch->name))
+			if (!argc || branch_checked_out(branch->refname))
 				die(_("No commit on branch '%s' yet."), branch->name);
 			die(_("branch '%s' does not exist"), branch->name);
 		}
diff --git a/t/t3200-branch.sh b/t/t3200-branch.sh
index 5a8a48287c..98b6c8ac34 100755
--- a/t/t3200-branch.sh
+++ b/t/t3200-branch.sh
@@ -239,6 +239,21 @@ test_expect_success 'git branch -M baz bam should succeed when baz is checked ou
 	git worktree prune
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'git branch -M fails if updating any linked working tree fails' '
+	git worktree add -b baz bazdir1 &&
+	git worktree add -f bazdir2 baz &&
+	touch .git/worktrees/bazdir1/HEAD.lock &&
+	test_must_fail git branch -M baz bam &&
+	test $(git -C bazdir2 rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD) = bam &&
+	git branch -M bam baz &&
+	rm .git/worktrees/bazdir1/HEAD.lock &&
+	touch .git/worktrees/bazdir2/HEAD.lock &&
+	test_must_fail git branch -M baz bam &&
+	test $(git -C bazdir1 rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD) = bam &&
+	rm -rf bazdir1 bazdir2 &&
+	git worktree prune
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'git branch -M baz bam should succeed within a worktree in which baz is checked out' '
 	git checkout -b baz &&
 	git worktree add -f bazdir baz &&
@@ -283,6 +298,20 @@ test_expect_success 'git branch -M and -C fail on detached HEAD' '
 	test_cmp expect err
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'git branch -m should work with orphan branches' '
+	test_when_finished git checkout - &&
+	test_when_finished git worktree remove -f wt &&
+	git worktree add wt --detach &&
+	# rename orphan in another worktreee
+	git -C wt checkout --orphan orphan-foo-wt &&
+	git branch -m orphan-foo-wt orphan-bar-wt &&
+	test orphan-bar-wt=$(git -C orphan-worktree branch --show-current) &&
+	# rename orphan in the current worktree
+	git checkout --orphan orphan-foo &&
+	git branch -m orphan-foo orphan-bar &&
+	test orphan-bar=$(git branch --show-current)
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'git branch -d on orphan HEAD (merged)' '
 	test_when_finished git checkout main &&
 	git checkout --orphan orphan &&
diff --git a/t/t3202-show-branch.sh b/t/t3202-show-branch.sh
index ea7cfd1951..be20ebe1d5 100755
--- a/t/t3202-show-branch.sh
+++ b/t/t3202-show-branch.sh
@@ -221,4 +221,22 @@ test_expect_success 'fatal descriptions on non-existent branch' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'error descriptions on orphan branch' '
+	test_when_finished git worktree remove -f wt &&
+	git worktree add wt --detach &&
+	git -C wt checkout --orphan orphan-branch &&
+	test_branch_op_in_wt() {
+		test_orphan_error() {
+			test_must_fail git $* 2>actual &&
+			test_i18ngrep "No commit on branch .orphan-branch. yet.$" actual
+		} &&
+		test_orphan_error -C wt branch $1 $2 &&                # implicit branch
+		test_orphan_error -C wt branch $1 orphan-branch $2 &&  # explicit branch
+		test_orphan_error branch $1 orphan-branch $2           # different worktree
+	} &&
+	test_branch_op_in_wt --edit-description &&
+	test_branch_op_in_wt --set-upstream-to=ne &&
+	test_branch_op_in_wt -c new-branch
+'
+
 test_done