diff --git a/models/issues/issue.go b/models/issues/issue.go
index 64fc20cc05..fe347c2715 100644
--- a/models/issues/issue.go
+++ b/models/issues/issue.go
@@ -125,8 +125,11 @@ type Issue struct {
 	IsPull            bool             `xorm:"INDEX"` // Indicates whether is a pull request or not.
 	PullRequest       *PullRequest     `xorm:"-"`
 	NumComments       int
-	Ref               string
-	PinOrder          int `xorm:"DEFAULT 0"`
+
+	// TODO: RemoveIssueRef: see "repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl"
+	Ref string
+
+	PinOrder int `xorm:"DEFAULT 0"`
 
 	DeadlineUnix timeutil.TimeStamp `xorm:"INDEX"`
 
diff --git a/templates/repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl b/templates/repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl
index 286ac0cd05..9183b7b46a 100644
--- a/templates/repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl
@@ -1,3 +1,17 @@
+{{/* 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
+
+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.
+
+There are still users using it:
+* @didim99: it is a really useful feature to specify a branch in which issue found.
+
+Still needs to figure out:
+* Could the "recording branch/tag name" be replaced by other approaches?
+	* Write the branch name in the issue title/body then it will still be displayed, eg: `[bug] (fix/ui-broken-bug) there is a bug ....`
+* Is "GitHub-like development sidebar (`#31899`)" good enough (or better) for your usage?
+*/}}
 {{if and (not .Issue.IsPull) (not .PageIsComparePull)}}
 <input id="ref_selector" name="ref" type="hidden" value="{{.Reference}}">
 <div class="ui dropdown select-branch branch-selector-dropdown ellipsis-items-nowrap {{if not .HasIssuesOrPullsWritePermission}}disabled{{end}}"
@@ -29,7 +43,7 @@
 			{{range .Branches}}
 				<div class="item" data-id="refs/heads/{{.}}" data-name="{{.}}" data-id-selector="#ref_selector" title="{{.}}">{{.}}</div>
 			{{else}}
-				<div class="item">{{ctx.Locale.Tr "no_results_found"}}</div>
+				<div class="item disabled">{{ctx.Locale.Tr "no_results_found"}}</div>
 			{{end}}
 		</div>
 		<div id="tag-list" class="scrolling menu reference-list-menu tw-hidden">
@@ -39,7 +53,7 @@
 			{{range .Tags}}
 				<div class="item" data-id="refs/tags/{{.}}" data-name="tags/{{.}}" data-id-selector="#ref_selector">{{.}}</div>
 			{{else}}
-				<div class="item">{{ctx.Locale.Tr "no_results_found"}}</div>
+				<div class="item disabled">{{ctx.Locale.Tr "no_results_found"}}</div>
 			{{end}}
 		</div>
 	</div>
diff --git a/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl b/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl
index ceaaebc4d5..dd4c7617ce 100644
--- a/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/issue/new_form.tmpl
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@
 	</div>
 
 	<div class="issue-content-right ui segment">
-		{{template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $}}
+		{{template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $}}{{/* TODO: RemoveIssueRef: template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $*/}}
+
 		{{if .PageIsComparePull}}
 			{{template "repo/issue/sidebar/reviewer_list" $.IssuePageMetaData}}
 			<div class="divider"></div>
diff --git a/templates/repo/issue/view_content/sidebar.tmpl b/templates/repo/issue/view_content/sidebar.tmpl
index 02f5d3e2df..987a882be7 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">
-	{{template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $}}
+	{{template "repo/issue/branch_selector_field" $}}{{/* TODO: RemoveIssueRef: 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 fe5184e7d2..a2b802f2a2 100644
--- a/templates/shared/issuelist.tmpl
+++ b/templates/shared/issuelist.tmpl
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
 							<span class="gt-ellipsis">{{.Project.Title}}</span>
 						</a>
 					{{end}}
-					{{if .Ref}}
+					{{if .Ref}}{{/* TODO: RemoveIssueRef: 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 45cd38d533..ef2b7d143c 100644
--- a/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar.ts
+++ b/web_src/js/features/repo-issue-sidebar.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {queryElems, toggleElem} from '../utils/dom.ts';
 import {initIssueSidebarComboList} from './repo-issue-sidebar-combolist.ts';
 
 function initBranchSelector() {
+  // TODO: RemoveIssueRef: see "repo/issue/branch_selector_field.tmpl"
   const elSelectBranch = document.querySelector('.ui.dropdown.select-branch');
   if (!elSelectBranch) return;