diff --git a/hgext/absorb.py b/hgext/absorb.py
--- a/hgext/absorb.py
+++ b/hgext/absorb.py
@@ -887,6 +887,8 @@ class fixupstate(object):
             if len(parents) != 1:
                 return False
             pctx = parents[0]
+        if ctx.branch() != pctx.branch():
+            return False
         # ctx changes more files (not a subset of memworkingcopy)
         if not set(ctx.files()).issubset(set(memworkingcopy)):
             return False
diff --git a/tests/test-absorb.t b/tests/test-absorb.t
--- a/tests/test-absorb.t
+++ b/tests/test-absorb.t
@@ -525,3 +525,31 @@ This should move us to the non-obsolete 
   a: 1 of 1 chunk(s) applied
   $ hg id
   bfafb49242db tip
+
+  $ cd ..
+  $ hg init repo6
+  $ cd repo6
+  $ echo a1 > a
+  $ touch b
+  $ hg commit -m a -A a b
+  $ hg branch foo -q
+  $ echo b > b
+  $ hg commit -m foo  # will become empty
+  $ hg branch bar -q
+  $ hg commit -m bar  # is already empty
+  $ echo a2 > a
+  $ printf '' > b
+  $ hg absorb --apply-changes --verbose | grep became
+  0:0cde1ae39321: 1 file(s) changed, became 3:fc7fcdd90fdb
+  1:795dfb1adcef: 2 file(s) changed, became 4:a8740537aa53
+  2:b02935f68891: 2 file(s) changed, became 5:59533e01c707
+  $ hg log -T '{rev} (branch: {branch}) {desc}\n' -G --stat
+  @  5 (branch: bar) bar
+  |
+  o  4 (branch: foo) foo
+  |
+  o  3 (branch: default) a
+      a |  1 +
+      b |  0
+      2 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
+