diff --git a/operation/issue/issue.go b/operation/issue/issue.go
index 48174e0..3c824d8 100644
--- a/operation/issue/issue.go
+++ b/operation/issue/issue.go
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ var (
 		mcp.WithNumber("commentID", mcp.Description("id of issue comment (required for 'edit_comment')")),
 		mcp.WithArray("labels", mcp.Description("array of label IDs (for 'create', 'add_labels', 'replace_labels')"), mcp.Items(map[string]any{"type": "number"})),
 		mcp.WithNumber("label_id", mcp.Description("label ID to remove (required for 'remove_label')")),
+		mcp.WithString("ref", mcp.Description("branch name to associate with the issue (for 'create', 'update')")),
 		mcp.WithString("deadline", mcp.Description("due date in ISO 8601 format (for 'create', 'update')")),
 		mcp.WithBoolean("remove_deadline", mcp.Description("unset due date (for 'update')")),
 	)
@@ -229,6 +230,9 @@ func createIssueFn(ctx context.Context, req mcp.CallToolRequest) (*mcp.CallToolR
 	if labelIDs, err := params.GetInt64Slice(req.GetArguments(), "labels"); err == nil {
 		opt.Labels = labelIDs
 	}
+	if ref, ok := req.GetArguments()["ref"].(string); ok {
+		opt.Ref = ref
+	}
 	opt.Deadline = params.GetOptionalTime(req.GetArguments(), "deadline")
 	issue, _, err := client.CreateIssue(owner, repo, opt)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -306,6 +310,9 @@ func editIssueFn(ctx context.Context, req mcp.CallToolRequest) (*mcp.CallToolRes
 	if ok {
 		opt.State = new(gitea_sdk.StateType(state))
 	}
+	if ref, ok := req.GetArguments()["ref"].(string); ok {
+		opt.Ref = &ref
+	}
 	opt.Deadline = params.GetOptionalTime(req.GetArguments(), "deadline")
 	if removeDeadline, ok := req.GetArguments()["remove_deadline"].(bool); ok {
 		opt.RemoveDeadline = &removeDeadline
diff --git a/operation/issue/slim.go b/operation/issue/slim.go
index 511a849..79bde93 100644
--- a/operation/issue/slim.go
+++ b/operation/issue/slim.go
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ func slimIssue(i *gitea_sdk.Issue) map[string]any {
 			"title": i.Milestone.Title,
 		}
 	}
+	if i.Ref != "" {
+		m["ref"] = i.Ref
+	}
+	if i.Deadline != nil {
+		m["deadline"] = i.Deadline
+	}
 	if i.PullRequest != nil {
 		m["is_pull"] = true
 	}
@@ -88,6 +94,12 @@ func slimIssues(issues []*gitea_sdk.Issue) []map[string]any {
 		if len(i.Labels) > 0 {
 			m["labels"] = labelNames(i.Labels)
 		}
+		if i.Ref != "" {
+			m["ref"] = i.Ref
+		}
+		if i.Deadline != nil {
+			m["deadline"] = i.Deadline
+		}
 		out = append(out, m)
 	}
 	return out
diff --git a/operation/search/slim.go b/operation/search/slim.go
index 734f08a..6a84eef 100644
--- a/operation/search/slim.go
+++ b/operation/search/slim.go
@@ -129,6 +129,12 @@ func slimIssues(issues []*gitea_sdk.Issue) []map[string]any {
 		if i.Repository != nil {
 			m["repository"] = i.Repository.FullName
 		}
+		if i.Ref != "" {
+			m["ref"] = i.Ref
+		}
+		if i.Deadline != nil {
+			m["deadline"] = i.Deadline
+		}
 		if i.PullRequest != nil {
 			m["is_pull"] = true
 		}