diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareBranches.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareBranches.html
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareBranches.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareBranches.html
@@ -1,45 +1,43 @@
 {{ define "repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareBranches" }}
-    <div id="patch-upload">
-        <label for="targetBranch" class="dark:text-white">select a source branch</label>
-        <div class="flex flex-wrap gap-2 items-center">
-            <select
-                name="sourceBranch"
-                class="p-1 border border-gray-200 bg-white dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white dark:border-gray-600"
-            >
-                <option disabled selected>source branch</option>
+    <div id="patch-upload" class="flex flex-wrap gap-2 items-center">
+        <select
+            id="sourceBranch"
+            name="sourceBranch"
+            hx-post="/{{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}/pulls/new/refresh"
+            hx-include="closest form"
+            hx-target="#pr-compose-host"
+            hx-swap="outerHTML"
+            hx-trigger="change"
+            hx-indicator="this"
+            class="peer p-1 border border-gray-200 bg-white dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white dark:border-gray-600"
+        >
+            <option disabled {{ if not .SourceBranch }}selected{{ end }}>Source branch</option>
 
-                {{ $recent := index .Branches 0 }}
-                {{ range .Branches }}
-                    {{ $isRecent := eq .Reference.Name $recent.Reference.Name }}
-                    {{ $preset := false }}
-                    {{ if $.SourceBranch }}
-                        {{ $preset = eq .Reference.Name $.SourceBranch }}
-                    {{ else }}
-                        {{ $preset = $isRecent }}
-                    {{ end }}
-                    
-                    <option
-                        value="{{ .Reference.Name }}"
-                        {{ if $preset }}
-                            selected
-                        {{ end }}
-                        class="py-1"
-                    >
-                        {{ .Reference.Name }}
-                        {{ if $isRecent }}(new){{ end }}
-                    </option>
+            {{ $recent := "" }}
+            {{ if .SourceBranches }}
+                {{ $recent = (index .SourceBranches 0).Reference.Name }}
+            {{ end }}
+            {{ range .SourceBranches }}
+                {{ $isRecent := eq .Reference.Name $recent }}
+                {{ $preset := false }}
+                {{ if $.SourceBranch }}
+                    {{ $preset = eq .Reference.Name $.SourceBranch }}
+                {{ else }}
+                    {{ $preset = $isRecent }}
                 {{ end }}
-            </select>
-        </div>
-    </div>
 
-    <div class="flex items-center gap-2">
-      <input type="checkbox" id="isStacked" name="isStacked" value="on">
-      <label for="isStacked" class="my-0 py-0 normal-case font-normal">Submit as stacked PRs</label>
+                <option
+                    value="{{ .Reference.Name }}"
+                    {{ if $preset }}selected{{ end }}
+                    {{ if and $.TargetBranch (eq .Reference.Name $.TargetBranch) }}disabled{{ end }}
+                    class="py-1"
+                >
+                    {{ .Reference.Name }}
+                    {{ if $isRecent }}(new){{ end }}
+                    {{ if and $.TargetBranch (eq .Reference.Name $.TargetBranch) }}(target){{ end }}
+                </option>
+            {{ end }}
+        </select>
+        {{ i "loader-circle" "size-4 animate-spin hidden peer-[.htmx-request]:inline text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400" }}
     </div>
-
-    <p class="mt-4">
-        Title and description are optional; if left out, they will be extracted
-        from the first commit.
-    </p>
 {{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForks.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForks.html
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForks.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForks.html
@@ -1,53 +1,37 @@
 {{ define "repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForks" }}
-    <div id="patch-upload">
-        <label for="forkSelect" class="dark:text-white"
-            >select a fork to compare</label
-        >
-        selected: {{ .Selected }}
-        <div class="flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center">
-            <div class="flex flex-wrap gap-2 items-center">
-                <select
-                    id="forkSelect"
-                    name="fork"
-                    required
-                    class="p-1 border border-gray-200 bg-white dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white dark:border-gray-600"
-                    hx-get="/{{ $.RepoInfo.FullName }}/pulls/new/fork-branches"
-                    hx-target="#branch-selection"
-                    hx-vals='{"fork": this.value}'
-                    hx-swap="innerHTML"
-                    onchange="document.getElementById('hiddenForkInput').value = this.value;"
-                >
-                    <option disabled selected>select a fork</option>
-                    {{ range .Forks }}
-                        <option value="{{ .Did }}/{{ .Name }}" {{ if eq .Name $.Selected }}selected{{ end }} class="py-1">
-                            {{ .Did | resolve }}/{{ .Name }}
-                        </option>
-                    {{ end }}
-                </select>
-
-                <input
-                    type="hidden"
-                    id="hiddenForkInput"
-                    name="fork"
-                    value=""
-                />
-            </div>
+    <div id="patch-upload" class="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
+        <div class="flex flex-wrap gap-2 items-center">
+            <select
+                id="forkSelect"
+                name="fork"
+                required
+                class="peer p-1 border border-gray-200 bg-white dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white dark:border-gray-600"
+                hx-post="/{{ $.RepoInfo.FullName }}/pulls/new/refresh"
+                hx-include="closest form"
+                hx-target="#pr-compose-host"
+                hx-swap="outerHTML"
+                hx-trigger="change"
+                hx-indicator="this"
+            >
+                <option disabled {{ if not $.Fork }}selected{{ end }}>Select a fork</option>
+                {{ range .Forks }}
+                    {{ $ident := printf "%s/%s" .Did .Name }}
+                    <option value="{{ $ident }}" {{ if eq $ident $.Fork }}selected{{ end }} class="py-1">
+                        {{ .Did | resolve }}/{{ .Name }}
+                    </option>
+                {{ end }}
+            </select>
+            {{ i "loader-circle" "size-4 animate-spin hidden peer-[.htmx-request]:inline text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400" }}
+        </div>
 
-            <div id="branch-selection">
+        <div id="branch-selection">
+            {{ if and .Fork .ForkBranches }}
+                {{ template "repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForksBranches" (dict "SourceBranches" .ForkBranches "SourceBranch" .SourceBranch "RepoInfo" .RepoInfo) }}
+            {{ else }}
                 <div class="text-sm text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">
                     Select a fork first to view available branches
                 </div>
-            </div>
+            {{ end }}
         </div>
     </div>
-
-    <div class="flex items-center gap-2">
-      <input type="checkbox" id="isStacked" name="isStacked" value="on">
-      <label for="isStacked" class="my-0 py-0 normal-case font-normal">Submit as stacked PRs</label>
-    </div>
-
-    <p class="mt-4">
-        Title and description are optional; if left out, they will be extracted
-        from the first commit.
-    </p>
 {{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForksBranches.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForksBranches.html
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForksBranches.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForksBranches.html
@@ -2,18 +2,31 @@ {{ define "repo/pulls/fragments/pullCompareForksBranches" }}
     <div class="flex flex-wrap gap-2 items-center">
         <select
             name="sourceBranch"
-            class="p-1 border border-gray-200 bg-white dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white dark:border-gray-600"
+            hx-post="/{{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}/pulls/new/refresh"
+            hx-include="closest form"
+            hx-target="#pr-compose-host"
+            hx-swap="outerHTML"
+            hx-trigger="change"
+            hx-indicator="this"
+            class="peer p-1 border border-gray-200 bg-white dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white dark:border-gray-600"
         >
-            <option disabled selected>source branch</option>
+            <option disabled {{ if not .SourceBranch }}selected{{ end }}>Source branch</option>
 
-            {{ $recent := index .SourceBranches 0 }}
+            {{ $recent := "" }}
+            {{ if .SourceBranches }}
+                {{ $recent = (index .SourceBranches 0).Reference.Name }}
+            {{ end }}
             {{ range .SourceBranches }}
-                {{ $isRecent := eq .Reference.Name $recent.Reference.Name }}
+                {{ $isRecent := eq .Reference.Name $recent }}
+                {{ $preset := false }}
+                {{ if $.SourceBranch }}
+                    {{ $preset = eq .Reference.Name $.SourceBranch }}
+                {{ else }}
+                    {{ $preset = $isRecent }}
+                {{ end }}
                 <option
                     value="{{ .Reference.Name }}"
-                    {{ if $isRecent }}
-                        selected
-                    {{ end }}
+                    {{ if $preset }}selected{{ end }}
                     class="py-1"
                 >
                     {{ .Reference.Name }}
@@ -21,5 +34,6 @@ {{ if $isRecent }}(new){{ end }}
                 </option>
             {{ end }}
         </select>
+        {{ i "loader-circle" "size-4 animate-spin hidden peer-[.htmx-request]:inline text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400" }}
     </div>
 {{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullPatchUpload.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullPatchUpload.html
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullPatchUpload.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/pulls/fragments/pullPatchUpload.html
@@ -1,13 +1,21 @@
 {{ define "repo/pulls/fragments/pullPatchUpload" }}
     <div id="patch-upload">
-        <p>
-            You can paste a <code>git diff</code> or a
-            <code>git format-patch</code> patch series here.
-        </p>
+        <div class="flex items-center justify-between gap-2">
+            <p class="my-0">
+                You can paste a <code>git diff</code> or a
+                <code>git format-patch</code> patch series here.
+            </p>
+            <span id="patch-spinner" class="group">
+                {{ i "loader-circle" "size-4 animate-spin hidden group-[.htmx-request]:inline text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400" }}
+            </span>
+        </div>
         <textarea
-            hx-trigger="keyup changed delay:500ms, paste delay:500ms"
-            hx-post="/{{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}/pulls/new/validate-patch"
-            hx-swap="none"
+            hx-trigger="paste delay:100ms, change"
+            hx-post="/{{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}/pulls/new/refresh"
+            hx-include="closest form"
+            hx-target="#pr-compose-host"
+            hx-swap="outerHTML"
+            hx-indicator="#patch-spinner"
             name="patch"
             id="patch"
             rows="12"
@@ -16,6 +24,6 @@ placeholder="diff --git a/file.txt b/file.txt
 index 1234567..abcdefg 100644
 --- a/file.txt
 +++ b/file.txt"
-        ></textarea>
+        >{{ .Patch }}</textarea>
     </div>
 {{ end }}