diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Added-20260601-113312.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Added-20260601-113312.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ca049daeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Added-20260601-113312.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+kind: Added
+body: '''branch checkout'': Treat the integration branch name as a shortcut to the integration branch, with a one-line throwaway warning instead of an untracked-branch prompt.'
+time: 2026-06-01T11:33:12.704475-04:00
diff --git a/branch_checkout.go b/branch_checkout.go
index 7c7233905..f9c279130 100644
--- a/branch_checkout.go
+++ b/branch_checkout.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"go.abhg.dev/gs/internal/git"
 	"go.abhg.dev/gs/internal/handler/checkout"
 	"go.abhg.dev/gs/internal/silog"
+	"go.abhg.dev/gs/internal/spice/state"
 	"go.abhg.dev/gs/internal/text"
 	"go.abhg.dev/gs/internal/ui"
 )
@@ -146,6 +148,7 @@ func (cmd *branchCheckoutCmd) Run(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	log *silog.Logger,
 	view ui.View,
+	store *state.Store,
 	handler CheckoutHandler,
 ) error {
 	mode := cmd.TrackUntracked
@@ -162,10 +165,27 @@ func (cmd *branchCheckoutCmd) Run(
 		log.Warnf("Please use spice.branchCheckout.trackUntracked=%v instead", mode.String())
 	}
 
+	// The integration branch is a deliberately-untracked singleton; the
+	// generic "branch not tracked" prompt is confusing for it. Detect
+	// the case once up front so ShouldTrack can short-circuit and the
+	// user gets a single, targeted warning that the branch is
+	// throwaway.
+	isIntegration := false
+	if info, err := store.Integration(ctx); err == nil && info.Name == cmd.Branch {
+		isIntegration = true
+		log.Warnf("%v: integration branch is throwaway and not tracked by git-spice", cmd.Branch)
+	} else if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, state.ErrNotExist) {
+		log.Warn("Could not load integration branch configuration", "error", err)
+	}
+
 	return handler.CheckoutBranch(ctx, &checkout.Request{
 		Branch:  cmd.Branch,
 		Options: &cmd.Options,
 		ShouldTrack: func(branch string) (bool, error) {
+			if isIntegration {
+				return false, nil
+			}
+
 			switch mode {
 			case trackUntrackedAlways:
 				log.Infof("%v: automatically tracking branch", branch)
diff --git a/doc/includes/cli-reference.md b/doc/includes/cli-reference.md
index ecad060ec..7ea9b9192 100644
--- a/doc/includes/cli-reference.md
+++ b/doc/includes/cli-reference.md
@@ -310,9 +310,11 @@ Before merging, the stack is checked for branches
 whose base PR was already merged on the forge.
 Use --no-branch-check to skip this validation.
 
-Before each merge, waits for CI checks to pass.
-Use --build-timeout to configure the maximum wait
-before failing if checks are not ready.
+Before each merge, waits for merge readiness:
+the forge must observe the pushed head
+and report that the CR is ready to merge.
+Use --ready-timeout to configure the maximum wait
+before failing if merge readiness is not reached.
 
 By default, a branch failure skips that branch's upstack descendants,
 but independent sibling branches continue.
@@ -321,12 +323,12 @@ Use --fail-fast to stop the queue after the first branch failure.
 **Flags**
 
 * `--method=METHOD` ([:material-wrench:{ .middle title="spice.merge.method" }](/cli/config.md#spicemergemethod)): Preferred merge method. One of 'merge', 'squash', and 'rebase'.
-* `--build-timeout=30m` ([:material-wrench:{ .middle title="spice.merge.buildTimeout" }](/cli/config.md#spicemergebuildtimeout)): Max time to wait for CI checks before each merge. 0 means check once.
+* `--ready-timeout=30m` ([:material-wrench:{ .middle title="spice.merge.readyTimeout" }](/cli/config.md#spicemergereadytimeout)): Max time to wait for merge readiness before each merge. 0 means check once.
 * `--no-branch-check`: Skip stale base validation before merging.
 * `--fail-fast`: Stop the merge queue after the first branch failure.
 * `--branch=NAME`: Branch whose stack to merge
 
-**Configuration**: [spice.merge.buildTimeout](/cli/config.md#spicemergebuildtimeout), [spice.merge.method](/cli/config.md#spicemergemethod)
+**Configuration**: [spice.merge.method](/cli/config.md#spicemergemethod), [spice.merge.readyTimeout](/cli/config.md#spicemergereadytimeout)
 
 ### git-spice stack restack {#gs-stack-restack}
 
@@ -624,7 +626,7 @@ This command acts as a local merge queue:
 it merges one Change Request,
 waits for that merge to finish,
 restacks and updates the next Change Request,
-waits for its CI checks to pass,
+waits for merge readiness on the updated Change Request,
 and then repeats the process.
 
 For a stack like this:
@@ -642,13 +644,15 @@ Before merging, the downstack is checked for branches
 whose base PR was already merged on the forge.
 Use --no-branch-check to skip this validation.
 
-Before each merge, waits for CI checks to pass.
-Use --build-timeout to configure the maximum wait
+Before each merge, waits for merge readiness:
+the forge must observe the pushed head
+and report that the CR is ready to merge.
+Use --ready-timeout to configure the maximum wait
 (default: 30m, 0 means fail immediately if not ready).
 
 Between merges, the command waits for each merge
 to complete, restacks and updates the next PR,
-waits for CI checks on the updated PR,
+waits for merge readiness on the updated PR,
 and syncs merged branch cleanup.
 
 Use --no-wait for single branch merging
@@ -658,12 +662,12 @@ when you don't want to wait for the merge to propagate.
 **Flags**
 
 * `--method=METHOD` ([:material-wrench:{ .middle title="spice.merge.method" }](/cli/config.md#spicemergemethod)): Preferred merge method. One of 'merge', 'squash', and 'rebase'.
-* `--build-timeout=30m` ([:material-wrench:{ .middle title="spice.merge.buildTimeout" }](/cli/config.md#spicemergebuildtimeout)): Max time to wait for CI checks before each merge. 0 means check once.
+* `--ready-timeout=30m` ([:material-wrench:{ .middle title="spice.merge.readyTimeout" }](/cli/config.md#spicemergereadytimeout)): Max time to wait for merge readiness before each merge. 0 means check once.
 * `--no-wait`: Skip polling for a single branch merge to propagate.
 * `--no-branch-check`: Skip stale base validation before merging.
 * `--branch=NAME`: Branch to start merging from
 
-**Configuration**: [spice.merge.buildTimeout](/cli/config.md#spicemergebuildtimeout), [spice.merge.method](/cli/config.md#spicemergemethod)
+**Configuration**: [spice.merge.method](/cli/config.md#spicemergemethod), [spice.merge.readyTimeout](/cli/config.md#spicemergereadytimeout)
 
 ### git-spice downstack edit {#gs-downstack-edit}
 
@@ -1133,16 +1137,18 @@ Use --branch to merge a different branch.
 The branch must be based directly on trunk.
 To merge a stacked branch, use 'gs downstack merge'.
 
-Before merging, waits for CI checks to pass.
-Use --build-timeout to configure the maximum wait.
+Before merging, waits for merge readiness:
+the forge must observe the pushed head
+and report that the CR is ready to merge.
+Use --ready-timeout to configure the maximum wait.
 
 **Flags**
 
 * `--method=METHOD` ([:material-wrench:{ .middle title="spice.merge.method" }](/cli/config.md#spicemergemethod)): Preferred merge method. One of 'merge', 'squash', and 'rebase'.
-* `--build-timeout=30m` ([:material-wrench:{ .middle title="spice.merge.buildTimeout" }](/cli/config.md#spicemergebuildtimeout)): Max time to wait for CI checks before each merge. 0 means check once.
+* `--ready-timeout=30m` ([:material-wrench:{ .middle title="spice.merge.readyTimeout" }](/cli/config.md#spicemergereadytimeout)): Max time to wait for merge readiness before each merge. 0 means check once.
 * `--branch=NAME`: Branch to merge
 
-**Configuration**: [spice.merge.buildTimeout](/cli/config.md#spicemergebuildtimeout), [spice.merge.method](/cli/config.md#spicemergemethod)
+**Configuration**: [spice.merge.method](/cli/config.md#spicemergemethod), [spice.merge.readyTimeout](/cli/config.md#spicemergereadytimeout)
 
 ### git-spice branch submit {#gs-branch-submit}
 
diff --git a/testdata/script/branch_checkout_integration.txt b/testdata/script/branch_checkout_integration.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fb7dd8c18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/script/branch_checkout_integration.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# Verifies 'gs branch checkout <integration>' is a no-friction
+# shortcut to the integration branch: it switches without prompting
+# to track the branch and warns once that the branch is throwaway.
+
+as 'Test <test@example.com>'
+at '2025-06-01T00:00:00Z'
+
+cd repo
+git init
+git commit --allow-empty -m 'Initial commit'
+gs repo init
+
+git add feat-a.txt
+gs bc feat-a -m 'Add feat-a'
+
+gs trunk
+gs integration create preview --tip feat-a
+gs integration rebuild
+
+# After rebuild, the worktree is back on the previously checked-out
+# branch (main). Switching to the integration branch by name should
+# just work, without the 'branch not tracked' prompt path.
+gs bco preview
+stderr 'integration branch is throwaway'
+stderr 'switched to branch: preview'
+
+# Sanity: HEAD now points at the integration branch.
+git symbolic-ref HEAD
+cmp stdout $WORK/golden/head.txt
+
+# Sanity: tracking is not implicitly added.
+! gs branch track preview
+stderr 'cannot track integration branch'
+
+-- repo/feat-a.txt --
+feature a
+-- golden/head.txt --
+refs/heads/preview