diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_text.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_text.py
index dad82f6af4fb..11960b67037b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_text.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_text.py
@@ -1331,3 +1331,19 @@ def test_draw_text_as_path_fallback(monkeypatch):
     _test_complex_shaping(subfig[0])
     _test_text_features(subfig[1])
     _test_text_language(subfig[2])
+
+
+def test_annotation_patchA_not_overridden():
+    # Test that manually setting patchA on annotation arrow is not
+    # overridden by update_positions. See GitHub issue #28316.
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    ann = ax.annotate(
+        '',
+        xy=(0.5, 0.6),
+        xytext=(0.2, 0.5),
+        arrowprops=dict(arrowstyle="->")
+    )
+    text = ax.text(0.2, 0.5, 'Text', ha='center', va='center')
+    ann.arrow_patch.set_patchA(text)
+    fig.draw_without_rendering()
+    assert ann.arrow_patch.patchA is text
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/text.py b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
index 9c6478f9c7df..4d104e51574c 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/text.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
@@ -2199,7 +2199,10 @@ def update_positions(self, renderer):
                 xy=(bbox.x0 - pad / 2, bbox.y0 - pad / 2),
                 width=bbox.width + pad, height=bbox.height + pad,
                 transform=IdentityTransform(), clip_on=False)
-        self.arrow_patch.set_patchA(patchA)
+        if self.arrow_patch.patchA is getattr(
+                self, '_internal_patchA', None):
+                self.arrow_patch.set_patchA(patchA)
+                self._internal_patchA = patchA
 
     @artist.allow_rasterization
     def draw(self, renderer):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py b/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py
index a279de0dfd8b..cedf451005f0 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py
@@ -2662,6 +2662,67 @@ def get_matrix(self):
         return self._mtx
 
 
+class IndirectTransform(Transform):
+    """
+    A transform that wraps a callable and resolves it lazily at draw time.
+
+    This is useful when the actual transform depends on something not
+    known until draw time, like another artist's bounding box.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    func : callable
+        A callable that takes no arguments and returns a `.Transform`
+        or `.BboxBase`.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    ::
+
+        tr = IndirectTransform(
+            lambda: BboxTransformTo(some_artist.get_window_extent())
+        )
+    """
+
+    input_dims = 2
+    output_dims = 2
+
+    def __init__(self, func, **kwargs):
+        if not callable(func):
+            raise TypeError(
+                f"func must be callable, not {type(func).__name__!r}"
+            )
+        super().__init__(**kwargs)
+        self._func = func
+
+    def _resolve(self):
+        """Call the wrapped function and return a proper Transform."""
+        result = self._func()
+        if isinstance(result, BboxBase):
+            return BboxTransformTo(result)
+        elif isinstance(result, Transform):
+            return result
+        raise TypeError(
+            f"func must return a Transform or BboxBase, "
+            f"not {type(result).__name__!r}"
+        )
+
+    def get_affine(self):
+        return self._resolve().get_affine()
+
+    def frozen(self):
+        return self._resolve().frozen()
+
+    def inverted(self):
+        return self._resolve().inverted()
+
+    def transform_affine(self, points):
+        return self._resolve().transform_affine(points)
+
+    def transform_non_affine(self, points):
+        return self._resolve().transform_non_affine(points)
+
+
 class BboxTransformFrom(Affine2DBase):
     """
     `BboxTransformFrom` linearly transforms points from a given `Bbox` to the
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/transforms.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/transforms.pyi
index ebee3954a3a7..4e2cb4682f87 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/transforms.pyi
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/transforms.pyi
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from .patches import Patch
 from .figure import Figure
 import numpy as np
 from numpy.typing import ArrayLike
-from collections.abc import Iterable, Sequence
+from collections.abc import Callable, Iterable, Sequence
 from typing import Literal
 
 DEBUG: bool
@@ -346,3 +346,9 @@ def offset_copy(
 class _ScaledRotation(Affine2DBase):
     def __init__(self, theta: float, trans_shift: Transform) -> None: ...
     def get_matrix(self) -> np.ndarray: ...
+
+
+class IndirectTransform(Transform):
+    def __init__(self, func: Callable[..., Transform], **kwargs) -> None: ...
+    def transform_non_affine(self, points) -> np.ndarray: ...
+    def transform_affine(self, points) -> np.ndarray: ...