diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/azure/azure.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/azure/azure.ts
index 1a055535c..fa28d5ce6 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/azure/azure.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/azure/azure.ts
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@ export class AzureDevOps implements GitHost {
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
-	async getAvailablePrTemplates(_path?: string) {
+	async availablePullRequestTemplates(_path?: string) {
 		// See: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/git/pull-request-templates?view=azure-devops#default-pull-request-templates
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
-	async getPrTemplateContent(_path?: string) {
+	async pullRequestTemplateContent(_path?: string) {
 		return undefined;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/bitbucket/bitbucket.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/bitbucket/bitbucket.ts
index 658e534dc..e93fdf6da 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/bitbucket/bitbucket.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/bitbucket/bitbucket.ts
@@ -52,12 +52,12 @@ export class BitBucket implements GitHost {
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
-	async getAvailablePrTemplates(_path?: string) {
+	async availablePullRequestTemplates(_path?: string) {
 		// See: https://confluence.atlassian.com/bitbucketserver/create-a-pull-request-808488431.html#Createapullrequest-templatePullrequestdescriptiontemplates
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
-	async getPrTemplateContent(_path?: string) {
+	async pullRequestTemplateContent(_path?: string) {
 		return undefined;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/github/github.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/github/github.ts
index f09c40d8d..7b55c52f7 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/github/github.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/github/github.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { GitHubBranch } from './githubBranch';
 import { GitHubChecksMonitor } from './githubChecksMonitor';
 import { GitHubListingService } from './githubListingService';
 import { GitHubPrService } from './githubPrService';
+import { GitHubIssueService } from '$lib/gitHost/github/issueService';
 import { Octokit } from '@octokit/rest';
 import type { ProjectMetrics } from '$lib/metrics/projectMetrics';
 import type { RepoInfo } from '$lib/url/gitUrl';
@@ -50,6 +51,13 @@ export class GitHub implements GitHost {
 		return new GitHubPrService(this.octokit, this.repo);
 	}
 
+	issueService() {
+		if (!this.octokit) {
+			return;
+		}
+		return new GitHubIssueService(this.octokit, this.repo);
+	}
+
 	checksMonitor(sourceBranch: string) {
 		if (!this.octokit) {
 			return;
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/github/githubPrService.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/github/githubPrService.ts
index dae9c2f05..efa152aaa 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/github/githubPrService.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/github/githubPrService.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,13 @@ import { sleep } from '$lib/utils/sleep';
 import posthog from 'posthog-js';
 import { writable } from 'svelte/store';
 import type { GitHostPrService } from '$lib/gitHost/interface/gitHostPrService';
-import type { DetailedPullRequest, MergeMethod, PullRequest } from '$lib/gitHost/interface/types';
 import type { RepoInfo } from '$lib/url/gitUrl';
+import type {
+	CreatePullRequestArgs,
+	DetailedPullRequest,
+	MergeMethod,
+	PullRequest
+} from '../interface/types';
 import type { Octokit } from '@octokit/rest';
 
 export class GitHubPrService implements GitHostPrService {
@@ -19,13 +24,13 @@ export class GitHubPrService implements GitHostPrService {
 		private repo: RepoInfo
 	) {}
 
-	async createPr(
-		title: string,
-		body: string,
-		draft: boolean,
-		baseBranchName: string,
-		upstreamName: string
-	): Promise<PullRequest> {
+	async createPr({
+		title,
+		body,
+		draft,
+		baseBranchName,
+		upstreamName
+	}: CreatePullRequestArgs): Promise<PullRequest> {
 		this.loading.set(true);
 		const request = async () => {
 			const resp = await this.octokit.rest.pulls.create({
@@ -37,6 +42,7 @@ export class GitHubPrService implements GitHostPrService {
 				body,
 				draft
 			});
+
 			return ghResponseToInstance(resp.data);
 		};
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/gitlab/gitlab.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/gitlab/gitlab.ts
index 92300f7c8..82ab119ab 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/gitlab/gitlab.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/gitlab/gitlab.ts
@@ -53,12 +53,12 @@ export class GitLab implements GitHost {
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
-	async getAvailablePrTemplates(_path?: string) {
+	async availablePullRequestTemplates(_path?: string) {
 		// See: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/description_templates.html
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
-	async getPrTemplateContent(_path?: string) {
+	async pullRequestTemplateContent(_path?: string) {
 		return undefined;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/interface/gitHostPrService.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/interface/gitHostPrService.ts
index 7fa855bf8..989288baa 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/interface/gitHostPrService.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/interface/gitHostPrService.ts
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ export const [getGitHostPrService, createGitHostPrServiceStore] = buildContextSt
 export interface GitHostPrService {
 	loading: Writable<boolean>;
 	get(prNumber: number): Promise<DetailedPullRequest>;
-	createPr(
-		title: string,
-		body: string,
-		draft: boolean,
-		baseBranchName: string,
-		upstreamName: string
-	): Promise<PullRequest>;
+	createPr({
+		title,
+		body,
+		draft,
+		baseBranchName,
+		upstreamName
+	}: CreatePullRequestArgs): Promise<PullRequest>;
 	getAvailablePrTemplates(path?: string): Promise<string[] | undefined>;
 	getPrTemplateContent(path?: string): Promise<string | undefined>;
 	merge(method: MergeMethod, prNumber: number): Promise<void>;
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/interface/types.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/interface/types.ts
index 01d45bab3..11bba81f5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/interface/types.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/gitHost/interface/types.ts
@@ -77,8 +77,10 @@ export type GitHostArguments = {
 	forkStr?: string;
 };
 
-export type CreatePullRequestArguments = {
+export type CreatePullRequestArgs = {
 	title: string;
 	body: string;
 	draft: boolean;
+	baseBranchName: string;
+	upstreamName: string;
 };
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/routes/[projectId]/+layout.svelte b/apps/desktop/src/routes/[projectId]/+layout.svelte
index 9494102ad..1f63d22a8 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/routes/[projectId]/+layout.svelte
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/routes/[projectId]/+layout.svelte
@@ -115,21 +115,22 @@
 	// Refresh base branch if git fetch event is detected.
 	const mode = $derived(modeService.mode);
 	const head = $derived(modeService.head);
-
+	// We end up with a `state_unsafe_mutation` when switching projects if we
+	// don't use $effect.pre here.
 	// TODO: can we eliminate the need to debounce?
 	const fetch = $derived(fetchSignal.event);
 	const debouncedBaseBranchResfresh = debounce(() => baseBranchService.refresh(), 500);
-	$effect(() => {
+	$effect.pre(() => {
 		if ($fetch || $head) debouncedBaseBranchResfresh();
 	});
 
 	// TODO: can we eliminate the need to debounce?
 	const debouncedRemoteBranchRefresh = debounce(() => remoteBranchService.refresh(), 500);
-	$effect(() => {
+	$effect.pre(() => {
 		if ($baseBranch || $head || $fetch) debouncedRemoteBranchRefresh();
 	});
 
-	$effect(() => {
+	$effect.pre(() => {
 		const gitHost =
 			repoInfo && baseBranchName
 				? gitHostFactory.build(repoInfo, baseBranchName, forkInfo)