diff --git a/models/issues/issue.go b/models/issues/issue.go
index a0af16db838..ca76dabc3ac 100644
--- a/models/issues/issue.go
+++ b/models/issues/issue.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ type Issue struct {
 	PullRequest       *PullRequest     `xorm:"-"`
 	NumComments       int
 
-	// TODO: RemoveIssueRef: see "repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl"
+	// TODO: ISSUE-SIDEBAR-REF-SELECTOR: see "repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl"
 	Ref string
 
 	PinOrder int `xorm:"-"` // 0 means not loaded, -1 means loaded but not pinned
diff --git a/templates/repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl b/templates/repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl
index 96575d2c49e..8a787e1499c 100644
--- a/templates/repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-{{/* TODO: RemoveIssueRef: the Issue.Ref will be removed in 1.24 or 1.25 if no end user really needs it or there could be better alternative then.
-PR: https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/32744
+{{/* TODO: ISSUE-SIDEBAR-REF-SELECTOR: Although we proposed to remove the Issue.Ref,
+> The Issue.Ref was added by Add possibility to record branch or tag information in an issue (#780)
+> After 8 years, this "branch selector" does nothing more than saving the branch/tag name into database and displays it,
+> or sometimes auto-close a ref-matched issue by a commit message when CloseIssuesViaCommitInAnyBranch=false.
 
-The Issue.Ref was added by Add possibility to record branch or tag information in an issue (#780)
-After 8 years, this "branch selector" does nothing more than saving the branch/tag name into database and displays it,
-or sometimes auto-close a ref-matched issue by a commit message when CloseIssuesViaCommitInAnyBranch=false.
-
-There are still users using it:
-* @didim99: it is a really useful feature to specify a branch in which issue found.
+Actually, there are still enough real users who are interested in it:
+* @didim99: it is a really useful feature to specify a branch in which issue found (also: https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/32744)
+* @AliceLafox: https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/issues/39746
+* @mscott-smartuq, @r10r, @@chklemenz, @Smithor, @@JanJurik: https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/issues/35505
+* Forum: https://forum.gitea.com/t/alternative-to-github-for-reporting-bugs/11684
+So we still keep it and mainain it.
 
 Still needs to figure out:
 * Could the "recording branch/tag name" be replaced by other approaches?
diff --git a/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl b/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl
index 71d5028e615..8794827363e 100644
--- a/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 	</div>
 
 	<div class="issue-content-right ui segment" data-global-init="initRepoIssueSidebar">
-		{{template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $}}{{/* TODO: RemoveIssueRef: template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $*/}}
+		{{template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $}}
 
 		{{if .PageIsComparePull}}
 			{{template "repo/issue/sidebar/reviewer_list" $.IssuePageMetaData}}
diff --git a/templates/repo/issue/view_content/sidebar.tmpl b/templates/repo/issue/view_content/sidebar.tmpl
index 4dff5084952..71aceed63f5 100644
--- a/templates/repo/issue/view_content/sidebar.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/issue/view_content/sidebar.tmpl
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div class="issue-content-right ui segment" data-global-init="initRepoIssueSidebar">
-	{{template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $}}{{/* TODO: RemoveIssueRef: template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $*/}}
+	{{template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $}}
 
 	{{if .Issue.IsPull}}
 		{{template "repo/issue/sidebar/reviewer_list" $.IssuePageMetaData}}
diff --git a/templates/shared/issuelist.tmpl b/templates/shared/issuelist.tmpl
index 838caeb7b28..c363171a3ff 100644
--- a/templates/shared/issuelist.tmpl
+++ b/templates/shared/issuelist.tmpl
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
 							<span class="gt-ellipsis">{{$project.Title}}</span>
 						</a>
 					{{end}}
-					{{if .Ref}}{{/* TODO: RemoveIssueRef: see "repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl" */}}
+					{{if .Ref}}{{/* TODO: ISSUE-SIDEBAR-REF-SELECTOR: see "repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl" */}}
 						<a class="ref flex-text-inline tw-max-w-[300px]" {{if $.RepoLink}}href="{{index $.IssueRefURLs .ID}}"{{else}}href="{{.Repo.Link}}{{index $.IssueRefURLs .ID}}"{{end}}>
 							{{svg "octicon-git-branch" 14}}
 							<span class="gt-ellipsis">{{index $.IssueRefEndNames .ID}}</span>
diff --git a/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar.ts b/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar.ts
index c2a5ea0f769..7b845099e27 100644
--- a/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar.ts
+++ b/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar.ts
@@ -11,12 +11,11 @@ import type {FomanticApiResponse, Issue} from '../types.ts';
 const {appSubUrl} = window.config;
 
 function initRepoIssueBranchSelector(elSidebar: HTMLElement) {
-  // TODO: RemoveIssueRef: see "repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl"
+  // TODO: ISSUE-SIDEBAR-REF-SELECTOR: see "repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl"
   const elSelectBranch = elSidebar.querySelector('.ui.dropdown.select-branch.branch-selector-dropdown');
   if (!elSelectBranch) return;
   const urlUpdateIssueRef = elSelectBranch.getAttribute('data-url-update-issueref');
-  const elBranchMenu = elSelectBranch.querySelector('.reference-list-menu')!;
-  queryElems(elBranchMenu, '.item:not(.no-select)', (el) => el.addEventListener('click', async function (e) {
+  queryElems(elSelectBranch, '.reference-list-menu .item:not(.no-select)', (el) => el.addEventListener('click', async function (e) {
     e.preventDefault();
     const selectedValue = this.getAttribute('data-id')!; // eg: "refs/heads/my-branch"
     const selectedText = this.getAttribute('data-name'); // eg: "my-branch"