diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
@@ -361,16 +361,20 @@ def tags(web, req, tmpl):
 def branches(web, req, tmpl):
     b = web.repo.branchtags()
     tips = (web.repo[n] for t, n in web.repo.branchtags().iteritems())
+    open = set(web.repo[n].branch() for n in web.repo.heads(closed=False))
     parity = paritygen(web.stripecount)
+    sortkey = lambda ctx: ('close' not in ctx.extra(), ctx.rev())
 
     def entries(limit, **map):
         count = 0
-        for ctx in sorted(tips, key=lambda x: x.rev(), reverse=True):
+        for ctx in sorted(tips, key=sortkey, reverse=True):
             if limit > 0 and count >= limit:
                 return
             count += 1
+            status = ctx.branch() in open and 'open' or 'closed'
             yield {'parity': parity.next(),
                    'branch': ctx.branch(),
+                   'status': status,
                    'node': ctx.hex(),
                    'date': ctx.date()}
 
diff --git a/templates/coal/map b/templates/coal/map
--- a/templates/coal/map
+++ b/templates/coal/map
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ branches = ../paper/branches.tmpl
 branchentry = '
   <tr class="tagEntry parity{parity}">
     <td>
-      <a href="{url}shortlog/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}">
+      <a href="{url}shortlog/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}" class="{status}">
         {branch|escape}
       </a>
     </td>
diff --git a/templates/gitweb/map b/templates/gitweb/map
--- a/templates/gitweb/map
+++ b/templates/gitweb/map
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ branchentry = '
   <tr class="parity{parity}">
     <td class="age"><i>{date|age} ago</i></td>
     <td><a class="list" href="{url}shortlog/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}"><b>{node|short}</b></a></td>
-    <td>{branch|escape}</td>
+    <td class="{status}">{branch|escape}</td>
     <td class="link">
       <a href="{url}changeset/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}">changeset</a> |
       <a href="{url}log/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}">changelog</a> |
diff --git a/templates/monoblue/map b/templates/monoblue/map
--- a/templates/monoblue/map
+++ b/templates/monoblue/map
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ branchentry = '
   <tr class="parity{parity}">
     <td class="nowrap">{date|age} ago</td>
     <td><a href="{url}shortlog/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}">{node|short}</a></td>
-    <td>{branch|escape}</td>
+    <td class="{status}">{branch|escape}</td>
     <td class="nowrap">
       <a href="{url}rev/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}">changeset</a> |
       <a href="{url}log/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}">changelog</a> |
diff --git a/templates/paper/map b/templates/paper/map
--- a/templates/paper/map
+++ b/templates/paper/map
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ branches = branches.tmpl
 branchentry = '
   <tr class="tagEntry parity{parity}">
     <td>
-      <a href="{url}shortlog/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}">
+      <a href="{url}shortlog/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}" class="{status}">
         {branch|escape}
       </a>
     </td>
diff --git a/templates/spartan/map b/templates/spartan/map
--- a/templates/spartan/map
+++ b/templates/spartan/map
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ branches = branches.tmpl
 branchentry = '
   <li class="tagEntry parity{parity}">
     <tt class="node">{node}</tt>
-    <a href="{url}shortlog/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}">{branch|escape}</a>
+    <a href="{url}shortlog/{node|short}{sessionvars%urlparameter}" class="{status}">{branch|escape}</a>
   </li>'
 diffblock = '<pre class="parity{parity}">{lines}</pre>'
 changelogtag = '<tr><th class="tag">tag:</th><td class="tag">{tag|escape}</td></tr>'
diff --git a/templates/static/style-coal.css b/templates/static/style-coal.css
--- a/templates/static/style-coal.css
+++ b/templates/static/style-coal.css
@@ -196,6 +196,8 @@ h3 {
 .fileline { font-family: monospace; }
 .fileline img { border: 0; }
 
+.tagEntry .closed { color: #99f; }
+
 /* Changeset entry */
 #changesetEntry {
   border-collapse: collapse;
diff --git a/templates/static/style-paper.css b/templates/static/style-paper.css
--- a/templates/static/style-paper.css
+++ b/templates/static/style-paper.css
@@ -185,6 +185,8 @@ h3 {
 .fileline { font-family: monospace; }
 .fileline img { border: 0; }
 
+.tagEntry .closed { color: #99f; }
+
 /* Changeset entry */
 #changesetEntry {
   border-collapse: collapse;
diff --git a/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out b/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out
--- a/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out
+++ b/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ branches |
 <tr class="parity0">
 <td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
 <td><a class="list" href="/shortlog/1d22e65f027e?style=gitweb"><b>1d22e65f027e</b></a></td>
-<td>stable</td>
+<td class="open">stable</td>
 <td class="link">
 <a href="/changeset/1d22e65f027e?style=gitweb">changeset</a> |
 <a href="/log/1d22e65f027e?style=gitweb">changelog</a> |
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ branches |
 <tr class="parity1">
 <td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
 <td><a class="list" href="/shortlog/a4f92ed23982?style=gitweb"><b>a4f92ed23982</b></a></td>
-<td>default</td>
+<td class="closed">default</td>
 <td class="link">
 <a href="/changeset/a4f92ed23982?style=gitweb">changeset</a> |
 <a href="/log/a4f92ed23982?style=gitweb">changelog</a> |
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ summary |
 <tr class="parity0">
 <td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
 <td><a class="list" href="/shortlog/1d22e65f027e?style=gitweb"><b>1d22e65f027e</b></a></td>
-<td>stable</td>
+<td class="">stable</td>
 <td class="link">
 <a href="/changeset/1d22e65f027e?style=gitweb">changeset</a> |
 <a href="/log/1d22e65f027e?style=gitweb">changelog</a> |
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ summary |
 <tr class="parity1">
 <td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
 <td><a class="list" href="/shortlog/a4f92ed23982?style=gitweb"><b>a4f92ed23982</b></a></td>
-<td>default</td>
+<td class="">default</td>
 <td class="link">
 <a href="/changeset/a4f92ed23982?style=gitweb">changeset</a> |
 <a href="/log/a4f92ed23982?style=gitweb">changelog</a> |