diff --git a/.github/workflows/smoke-update-cross-repo-pr.lock.yml b/.github/workflows/smoke-update-cross-repo-pr.lock.yml
index 66f6dc137d..a3a1a30633 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/smoke-update-cross-repo-pr.lock.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/smoke-update-cross-repo-pr.lock.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #
 # Smoke test validating cross-repo pull request updates in githubnext/gh-aw-side-repo by adding lines from Homer's Odyssey to the README
 #
-# gh-aw-metadata: {"schema_version":"v1","frontmatter_hash":"0dbcea46ce3435c40cb5ca9fcbd9feb04e8720f1b0b3b89993c94ae5d7bf3cd0"}
+# gh-aw-metadata: {"schema_version":"v1","frontmatter_hash":"e7bb6f57e2a528ac46befd53d9f587e25a21ebc63c62d7d00795d8479082c8b0"}
 
 name: "Smoke Update Cross-Repo PR"
 "on":
@@ -321,14 +321,14 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
-      - name: Checkout githubnext/gh-aw-side-repo
+      - name: Checkout side repo
         uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
           repository: githubnext/gh-aw-side-repo
           token: ${{ secrets.GH_AW_SIDE_REPO_PAT }}
           fetch-depth: 0
-      - name: Fetch additional refs for githubnext/gh-aw-side-repo
+      - name: Fetch additional refs for side repo
         env:
           GH_AW_FETCH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_AW_SIDE_REPO_PAT }}
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/smoke-update-cross-repo-pr.md b/.github/workflows/smoke-update-cross-repo-pr.md
index 3f8ee59c4a..8a7465ea08 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/smoke-update-cross-repo-pr.md
+++ b/.github/workflows/smoke-update-cross-repo-pr.md
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ network:
 
 checkout:
   - repository: githubnext/gh-aw-side-repo
+    name: side repo
     github-token: ${{ secrets.GH_AW_SIDE_REPO_PAT }}
     fetch: ["main", "refs/pulls/open/*"]      # fetch all open PR refs after checkout
     fetch-depth: 0               # fetch full history to ensure we can see all commits and PR details
diff --git a/pkg/parser/schemas/main_workflow_schema.json b/pkg/parser/schemas/main_workflow_schema.json
index 85878a485b..759c30ea43 100644
--- a/pkg/parser/schemas/main_workflow_schema.json
+++ b/pkg/parser/schemas/main_workflow_schema.json
@@ -8007,6 +8007,11 @@
       "description": "Configuration for a single actions/checkout step",
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "properties": {
+        "name": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "Optional human-readable label used in generated step names. When set, overrides the default repository/path-derived label in 'Checkout <name>' and 'Fetch additional refs for <name>' step names.",
+          "examples": ["side repo", "upstream", "my-lib"]
+        },
         "repository": {
           "type": "string",
           "description": "Repository to checkout in owner/repo format. Defaults to the current repository.",
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/checkout_manager.go b/pkg/workflow/checkout_manager.go
index 75f1c339ba..15e57a68a0 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/checkout_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/checkout_manager.go
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ var checkoutManagerLog = logger.New("workflow:checkout_manager")
 //	      app-id: ${{ vars.APP_ID }}
 //	      private-key: ${{ secrets.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
 type CheckoutConfig struct {
+	// Name is an optional human-readable label used in generated step names.
+	// When set, it overrides the default repository/path-derived label in
+	// "Checkout <name>" and "Fetch additional refs for <name>" step names.
+	Name string `json:"name,omitempty"`
+
 	// Repository to checkout in owner/repo format. Defaults to the current repository.
 	Repository string `json:"repository,omitempty"`
 
@@ -107,6 +112,7 @@ type checkoutKey struct {
 // resolvedCheckout is an internal merged checkout entry used by CheckoutManager.
 type resolvedCheckout struct {
 	key            checkoutKey
+	name           string           // optional human-readable label overriding key-derived step name
 	ref            string           // last non-empty ref wins
 	token          string           // last non-empty github-token wins
 	githubApp      *GitHubAppConfig // GitHub App config (first non-nil wins)
@@ -167,6 +173,9 @@ func (cm *CheckoutManager) add(cfg *CheckoutConfig) {
 		// Merge into existing entry; first-seen wins for ref and token
 		entry := cm.ordered[idx]
 		entry.fetchDepth = deeperFetchDepth(entry.fetchDepth, cfg.FetchDepth)
+		if cfg.Name != "" && entry.name == "" {
+			entry.name = cfg.Name // first-seen name wins
+		}
 		if cfg.Ref != "" && entry.ref == "" {
 			entry.ref = cfg.Ref // first-seen ref wins
 		}
@@ -195,6 +204,7 @@ func (cm *CheckoutManager) add(cfg *CheckoutConfig) {
 	} else {
 		entry := &resolvedCheckout{
 			key:        key,
+			name:       cfg.Name,
 			ref:        cfg.Ref,
 			token:      cfg.GitHubToken,
 			githubApp:  cfg.GitHubApp,
@@ -403,7 +413,7 @@ func (cm *CheckoutManager) GenerateDefaultCheckoutStep(
 // The index parameter identifies the checkout's position in the ordered list, used to
 // reference the correct app token minting step when app authentication is configured.
 func generateCheckoutStepLines(entry *resolvedCheckout, index int, getActionPin func(string) string) []string {
-	name := "Checkout " + checkoutStepName(entry.key)
+	name := "Checkout " + checkoutStepName(entry)
 	var sb strings.Builder
 	fmt.Fprintf(&sb, "      - name: %s\n", name)
 	fmt.Fprintf(&sb, "        uses: %s\n", getActionPin("actions/checkout"))
@@ -454,7 +464,12 @@ func generateCheckoutStepLines(entry *resolvedCheckout, index int, getActionPin
 }
 
 // checkoutStepName returns a human-readable description for a checkout step.
-func checkoutStepName(key checkoutKey) string {
+// When entry.name is set it takes precedence; otherwise a label is derived from the key.
+func checkoutStepName(entry *resolvedCheckout) string {
+	if entry.name != "" {
+		return entry.name
+	}
+	key := entry.key
 	if key.repository != "" && key.path != "" {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%s into %s", key.repository, key.path)
 	}
@@ -576,8 +591,8 @@ func generateFetchStepLines(entry *resolvedCheckout, index int) string {
 
 	// Build step name
 	name := "Fetch additional refs"
-	if entry.key.repository != "" {
-		name = "Fetch additional refs for " + entry.key.repository
+	if entry.name != "" || entry.key.repository != "" || entry.key.path != "" {
+		name = "Fetch additional refs for " + checkoutStepName(entry)
 	}
 
 	// Determine authentication token
@@ -677,6 +692,14 @@ func ParseCheckoutConfigs(raw any) ([]*CheckoutConfig, error) {
 func checkoutConfigFromMap(m map[string]any) (*CheckoutConfig, error) {
 	cfg := &CheckoutConfig{}
 
+	if v, ok := m["name"]; ok {
+		s, ok := v.(string)
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, errors.New("checkout.name must be a string")
+		}
+		cfg.Name = s
+	}
+
 	if v, ok := m["repository"]; ok {
 		s, ok := v.(string)
 		if !ok {