diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/pages/projects/project.js b/app/assets/javascripts/pages/projects/project.js
index da8dc527d79f72827b593dac268b08bbf65c389c..91f376060f882d763f7f51d50a34cb6dbef23a58 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/pages/projects/project.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/pages/projects/project.js
@@ -123,10 +123,19 @@ export default class Project {
             const loc = window.location.href;
 
             if (loc.includes('/-/')) {
-              const refs = this.fullData.Branches.concat(this.fullData.Tags);
-              const currentRef = refs.find((ref) => loc.indexOf(ref) > -1);
-              if (currentRef) {
-                const targetPath = loc.split(currentRef)[1].slice(1).split('#')[0];
+              // Since the current ref in renderRow is outdated on page changes
+              // (To be addressed in: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/327085)
+              // We are deciphering the current ref from the dropdown data instead
+              const currentRef = $dropdown.data('ref');
+              // The split and startWith is to ensure an exact word match
+              // and avoid partial match ie. currentRef is "dev" and loc is "development"
+              const splitPathAfterRefPortion = loc.split(currentRef)[1];
+              const doesPathContainRef = splitPathAfterRefPortion?.startsWith('/');
+
+              if (doesPathContainRef) {
+                // We are ignoring the url containing the ref portion
+                // and plucking the thereafter portion to reconstructure the url that is correct
+                const targetPath = splitPathAfterRefPortion?.slice(1).split('#')[0];
                 selectedUrl.searchParams.set('path', targetPath);
                 selectedUrl.hash = window.location.hash;
               }
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/322792-switch-branch-of-shorter-name.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/322792-switch-branch-of-shorter-name.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..f9eddc86b8c83688782ecbec0bdd7d1d561dccb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/322792-switch-branch-of-shorter-name.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Fix branch switch to be exact instead of partial match
+merge_request: 57197
+author:
+type: fixed