diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 48a9708..ce90cde 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@ interactive menu. Update availability is checked in the background and cached;
 updates are installed only when explicitly selected or requested with
 `tapm update`.
 
+The required iDSSYS Defaults repository is handled separately: it is
+automatically refreshed before launch when its last successful check is more
+than four hours old. If the remote is unavailable, the installed copy is used.
+
+The Utilities menu can safely switch TA-ProxMenu between branches published on
+its Git origin. Branch switching is refused when the installed repository has
+local changes.
+
 ## Direct actions
 
 The menu script also supports these direct actions:
diff --git a/defaults.inc b/defaults.inc
index 0bd7e01..fe8ca86 100755
--- a/defaults.inc
+++ b/defaults.inc
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 action="${1:-}"
 FOLDER='/opt/idssys/ta-proxmenu'
-VERS='2026.7.25-16'
+VERS='2026.7.25-17'
 
 noupdate=' '
 
diff --git a/proxmenu-scripts.sh b/proxmenu-scripts.sh
index 01e4b0c..5c6a496 100755
--- a/proxmenu-scripts.sh
+++ b/proxmenu-scripts.sh
@@ -761,9 +761,124 @@ SERVICE_RECOVERY_MENU() {
 	done
 }
 
+SWITCH_SCRIPT_BRANCH() {
+	local target_branch="$1"
+	local current_branch
+	local choice
+
+	current_branch="$(git -C "$FOLDER" branch --show-current 2>/dev/null)"
+	if [[ "$target_branch" == "$current_branch" ]]; then
+		echo -e "\n${idsCL[Green]}TA-ProxMenu is already using '${target_branch}'.${idsCL[Default]}"
+		ENTER2CONTINUE
+		return
+	fi
+
+	if [[ -n "$(git -C "$FOLDER" status --porcelain --untracked-files=normal)" ]]; then
+		echo -e "\n${idsCL[Red]}The installed TA-ProxMenu repository has local changes.${idsCL[Default]}"
+		echo "Branch switching was refused to protect those files."
+		echo
+		git -C "$FOLDER" status --short
+		ENTER2CONTINUE
+		return
+	fi
+
+	echo -en "\n${idsCL[LightCyan]}Switch TA-ProxMenu from '${current_branch}' to '${target_branch}' (y/N)?${idsCL[Default]} "
+	read -n 1 choice
+	echo
+	[[ "$choice" =~ ^[Yy]$ ]] || return
+
+	if ! timeout 30 git -C "$FOLDER" fetch origin \
+		"refs/heads/${target_branch}:refs/remotes/origin/${target_branch}"; then
+		echo -e "${idsCL[Red]}Failed to fetch '${target_branch}' from origin.${idsCL[Default]}"
+		ENTER2CONTINUE
+		return
+	fi
+
+	if git -C "$FOLDER" show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/heads/${target_branch}"; then
+		git -C "$FOLDER" switch "$target_branch" || {
+			ENTER2CONTINUE
+			return
+		}
+	else
+		git -C "$FOLDER" switch --create "$target_branch" \
+			--track "origin/${target_branch}" || {
+			ENTER2CONTINUE
+			return
+		}
+	fi
+
+	if ! git -C "$FOLDER" reset --hard "origin/${target_branch}"; then
+		echo -e "${idsCL[Red]}Failed to synchronize '${target_branch}' with origin.${idsCL[Default]}"
+		ENTER2CONTINUE
+		return
+	fi
+
+	rm -f "$UPDATE_CACHE_FILE"
+	echo -e "\n${idsCL[Green]}Now using TA-ProxMenu branch '${target_branch}'.${idsCL[Default]}"
+	sleep 1
+	exec /opt/idssys/ta-proxmenu/run.sh
+}
+
+BRANCH_MANAGEMENT_MENU() {
+	local -a labels=()
+	local -a values=()
+	local branch
+	local branch_version
+	local current_branch
+
+	MENU_HEADER
+	echo
+	echo -e " ${idsCL[LightCyan]}Refreshing remote branch list...${idsCL[Default]}"
+
+	if ! timeout 30 git -C "$FOLDER" fetch origin \
+		'+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*' --prune >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+		echo -e "\n${idsCL[Red]}Could not retrieve branches from origin.${idsCL[Default]}"
+		ENTER2CONTINUE
+		return
+	fi
+
+	current_branch="$(git -C "$FOLDER" branch --show-current 2>/dev/null)"
+	while IFS= read -r branch; do
+		[[ -n "$branch" && "$branch" != "HEAD" ]] || continue
+		branch_version="$(
+			git -C "$FOLDER" show "refs/remotes/origin/${branch}:defaults.inc" \
+				2>/dev/null |
+				awk -F"'" '/^VERS=/{ print $2; exit }'
+		)"
+
+		if [[ "$branch" == "$current_branch" ]]; then
+			labels+=("${branch}  (current, version ${branch_version:-unknown})")
+		else
+			labels+=("${branch}  (version ${branch_version:-unknown})")
+		fi
+		values+=("branch:${branch}")
+	done < <(
+		git -C "$FOLDER" for-each-ref \
+			--format='%(refname:strip=3)' refs/remotes/origin |
+			sort -V
+	)
+
+	if (( ${#labels[@]} == 0 )); then
+		echo -e "\n${idsCL[Red]}No remote branches were found.${idsCL[Default]}"
+		ENTER2CONTINUE
+		return
+	fi
+
+	while true; do
+		SELECT_MENU "Git Branch Management" labels values
+		case "$MENU_SELECTION" in
+			branch:*)
+				SWITCH_SCRIPT_BRANCH "${MENU_SELECTION#branch:}"
+				;;
+			back) return;;
+			quit) EXIT1; exit 0;;
+		esac
+	done
+}
+
 UTILITIES_MENU() {
 	local -a labels
-	local -a values=("install_update" "check_update" "about")
+	local -a values=("install_update" "check_update" "branches" "about")
 	local choice
 
 	while true; do
@@ -782,7 +897,11 @@ UTILITIES_MENU() {
 				labels=("Update status unavailable")
 				;;
 		esac
-		labels+=("Check again now" "Version and installation information")
+		labels+=(
+			"Check again now"
+			"Git branch management"
+			"Version and installation information"
+		)
 
 		SELECT_MENU "Utilities" labels values
 		case "$MENU_SELECTION" in
@@ -802,6 +921,7 @@ UTILITIES_MENU() {
 				ENTER2CONTINUE
 				;;
 			check_update) FORCE_UPDATE_CHECK;;
+			branches) BRANCH_MANAGEMENT_MENU;;
 			about) SHOW_ABOUT;;
 			back) return;;
 			quit) EXIT1; exit 0;;
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
index 7b93878..357543e 100755
--- a/run.sh
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,69 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # TA-ProxMenu preloader
 
+DEFAULTS_REPOSITORY='/opt/idssys/defaults'
+DEFAULTS_CACHE_DIR='/var/cache/ta-proxmenu'
+DEFAULTS_CHECK_FILE="${DEFAULTS_CACHE_DIR}/defaults-last-check"
+DEFAULTS_CHECK_SECONDS=14400
+
+AUTO_UPDATE_DEFAULTS() {
+	local checked_at=0
+	local local_commit
+	local now
+	local remote_commit
+
+	mkdir -p "$DEFAULTS_CACHE_DIR" 2>/dev/null || true
+	now="$(date +%s)"
+	[[ -r "$DEFAULTS_CHECK_FILE" ]] && read -r checked_at <"$DEFAULTS_CHECK_FILE"
+
+	if [[ "$checked_at" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] &&
+		(( now - checked_at < DEFAULTS_CHECK_SECONDS )); then
+		return
+	fi
+
+	exec 9>"${DEFAULTS_CACHE_DIR}/defaults-update.lock" || return
+	flock -n 9 || return
+
+	# Another process may have completed the update while this one waited.
+	checked_at=0
+	[[ -r "$DEFAULTS_CHECK_FILE" ]] && read -r checked_at <"$DEFAULTS_CHECK_FILE"
+	if [[ "$checked_at" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] &&
+		(( now - checked_at < DEFAULTS_CHECK_SECONDS )); then
+		return
+	fi
+
+	if [[ ! -d "${DEFAULTS_REPOSITORY}/.git" ]]; then
+		echo "iDSSYS Defaults is missing; restoring it from origin..."
+		mkdir -p /opt/idssys
+		if ! timeout 60 git clone \
+			https://git.scity.us/voltron/iDS-Defaults.git "$DEFAULTS_REPOSITORY"; then
+			echo "WARNING: Unable to restore iDSSYS Defaults." >&2
+			return
+		fi
+	else
+		if ! timeout 20 git -C "$DEFAULTS_REPOSITORY" fetch origin master \
+			>/dev/null 2>&1; then
+			echo "WARNING: Unable to check iDSSYS Defaults; using the installed copy." >&2
+			return
+		fi
+
+		local_commit="$(git -C "$DEFAULTS_REPOSITORY" rev-parse HEAD)"
+		remote_commit="$(git -C "$DEFAULTS_REPOSITORY" rev-parse origin/master)"
+		if [[ "$local_commit" != "$remote_commit" ]]; then
+			echo "Updating required iDSSYS Defaults..."
+			if ! git -C "$DEFAULTS_REPOSITORY" reset --hard origin/master \
+				>/dev/null 2>&1; then
+				echo "WARNING: Unable to update iDSSYS Defaults; using the installed copy." >&2
+				return
+			fi
+		fi
+	fi
+
+	date +%s >"$DEFAULTS_CHECK_FILE"
+}
+
+AUTO_UPDATE_DEFAULTS
+
 [ "${2:-}" != "q" ] && source /opt/idssys/defaults/colors.inc
 source /opt/idssys/defaults/default.inc
 source /opt/idssys/ta-proxmenu/defaults.inc