diff --git a/pkg/gui/branches_panel.go b/pkg/gui/branches_panel.go
index 1cb1ba5fa..b856b4007 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/branches_panel.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/branches_panel.go
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ import (
 // list panel functions
 
 func (gui *Gui) getSelectedBranch() *commands.Branch {
+	if len(gui.State.Branches) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	selectedLine := gui.State.Panels.Branches.SelectedLine
 	if selectedLine == -1 {
 		return nil
@@ -26,27 +30,32 @@ func (gui *Gui) handleBranchSelect() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	gui.splitMainPanel(false)
-
-	gui.getMainView().Title = "Log"
-
-	// This really shouldn't happen: there should always be a master branch
-	if len(gui.State.Branches) == 0 {
-		return gui.newStringTask("main", gui.Tr.SLocalize("NoBranchesThisRepo"))
-	}
-	branch := gui.getSelectedBranch()
-
 	if gui.inDiffMode() {
 		return gui.renderDiff()
 	}
 
-	cmd := gui.OSCommand.ExecutableFromString(
-		gui.GitCommand.GetBranchGraphCmdStr(branch.Name),
-	)
-	if err := gui.newCmdTask("main", cmd); err != nil {
-		gui.Log.Error(err)
+	refreshOpts := refreshMainOpts{
+		main: &viewUpdateOpts{
+			title: "Log",
+			task: {
+				kind: RENDER_STRING,
+				str:  gui.Tr.SLocalize("NoBranchesThisRepo"),
+			},
+		},
 	}
-	return nil
+
+	branch := gui.getSelectedBranch()
+	if branch == nil {
+		refreshOpts.main.task = func() error { return gui.newStringTask("main", gui.Tr.SLocalize("NoBranchesThisRepo")) }
+	} else {
+		cmd := gui.OSCommand.ExecutableFromString(
+			gui.GitCommand.GetBranchGraphCmdStr(branch.Name),
+		)
+
+		refreshOpts.main.task = func() error { return gui.newPtyTask("main", cmd) }
+	}
+
+	return gui.refreshMain(refreshOpts)
 }
 
 // gui.refreshStatus is called at the end of this because that's when we can
diff --git a/pkg/gui/diffing.go b/pkg/gui/diffing.go
index 7418cf3aa..4e88f2e8b 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/diffing.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/diffing.go
@@ -18,20 +18,22 @@ func (gui *Gui) exitDiffMode() error {
 }
 
 func (gui *Gui) renderDiff() error {
-	gui.getMainView().Title = "Diff"
-	gui.splitMainPanel(false)
-	filterArg := ""
-	if gui.inFilterMode() {
-		filterArg = fmt.Sprintf(" -- %s", gui.State.FilterPath)
-	}
+	return gui.refreshMain(refreshMainOpts{
+		main: &viewUpdateOpts{
+			title: "Diff",
+			task: func() error {
+				filterArg := ""
+				if gui.inFilterMode() {
+					filterArg = fmt.Sprintf(" -- %s", gui.State.FilterPath)
+				}
 
-	cmd := gui.OSCommand.ExecutableFromString(
-		fmt.Sprintf("git diff --color %s %s", gui.diffStr(), filterArg),
-	)
-	if err := gui.newPtyTask("main", cmd); err != nil {
-		gui.Log.Error(err)
-	}
-	return nil
+				cmd := gui.OSCommand.ExecutableFromString(
+					fmt.Sprintf("git diff --color %s %s", gui.diffStr(), filterArg),
+				)
+				return gui.newPtyTask("main", cmd)
+			},
+		},
+	})
 }
 
 // currentDiffTerminals returns the current diff terminals of the currently selected item.
diff --git a/pkg/gui/main_panels.go b/pkg/gui/main_panels.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af6718c60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/gui/main_panels.go
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+package gui
+
+import "os/exec"
+
+type viewUpdateOpts struct {
+	title string
+	task  func() error
+}
+
+type refreshMainOpts struct {
+	main      *viewUpdateOpts
+	secondary *viewUpdateOpts
+}
+
+// constants for updateTask's kind field
+const (
+	RENDER_STRING = iota
+	RUN_FUNCTION
+	RUN_COMMAND
+)
+
+type updateTask struct {
+	kind int
+	str  string
+	f    func(chan struct{}) error
+	cmd  *exec.Cmd
+}
+
+func (gui *Gui) createRenderStringTask(str string) {
+
+}
+
+func (gui *Gui) refreshMain(opts refreshMainOpts) error {
+	mainView := gui.getMainView()
+	secondaryView := gui.getSecondaryView()
+
+	if opts.main != nil {
+		mainView.Title = opts.main.title
+		if err := opts.main.task(); err != nil {
+			gui.Log.Error(err)
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	gui.splitMainPanel(opts.secondary != nil)
+
+	if opts.secondary != nil {
+		secondaryView.Title = opts.secondary.title
+		if err := opts.secondary.task(); err != nil {
+			gui.Log.Error(err)
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (gui *Gui) splitMainPanel(splitMainPanel bool) {
+	gui.State.SplitMainPanel = splitMainPanel
+
+	// no need to set view on bottom when splitMainPanel is false: it will have zero size anyway thanks to our view arrangement code.
+	if splitMainPanel {
+		_, _ = gui.g.SetViewOnTop("secondary")
+	}
+}
+
+func (gui *Gui) isMainPanelSplit() bool {
+	return gui.State.SplitMainPanel
+}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/reflog_panel.go b/pkg/gui/reflog_panel.go
index 038e2bf7e..c1cc118de 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/reflog_panel.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/reflog_panel.go
@@ -19,30 +19,28 @@ func (gui *Gui) getSelectedReflogCommit() *commands.Commit {
 }
 
 func (gui *Gui) handleReflogCommitSelect() error {
-	if gui.popupPanelFocused() {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	gui.splitMainPanel(false)
-
-	gui.getMainView().Title = "Reflog Entry"
-
-	commit := gui.getSelectedReflogCommit()
-	if commit == nil {
-		return gui.newStringTask("main", "No reflog history")
-	}
 	if gui.inDiffMode() {
 		return gui.renderDiff()
 	}
 
-	cmd := gui.OSCommand.ExecutableFromString(
-		gui.GitCommand.ShowCmdStr(commit.Sha, gui.State.FilterPath),
-	)
-	if err := gui.newPtyTask("main", cmd); err != nil {
-		gui.Log.Error(err)
+	refreshOpts := refreshMainOpts{
+		main: &viewUpdateOpts{
+			title: "Reflog Entry",
+		},
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	commit := gui.getSelectedReflogCommit()
+	if commit == nil {
+		refreshOpts.main.task = func() error { return gui.newStringTask("main", "No reflog history") }
+	} else {
+		cmd := gui.OSCommand.ExecutableFromString(
+			gui.GitCommand.ShowCmdStr(commit.Sha, gui.State.FilterPath),
+		)
+
+		refreshOpts.main.task = func() error { return gui.newPtyTask("main", cmd) }
+	}
+
+	return gui.refreshMain(refreshOpts)
 }
 
 // the reflogs panel is the only panel where we cache data, in that we only
diff --git a/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go b/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go
index 137e0e96f..df3dc5ece 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go
@@ -368,16 +368,3 @@ func (gui *Gui) clearEditorView(v *gocui.View) {
 	_ = v.SetCursor(0, 0)
 	_ = v.SetOrigin(0, 0)
 }
-
-func (gui *Gui) splitMainPanel(state bool) {
-	gui.State.SplitMainPanel = state
-
-	// no need to set view on bottom when state is false: it will have zero size anyway thanks to our view arrangement code.
-	if state {
-		_, _ = gui.g.SetViewOnTop("secondary")
-	}
-}
-
-func (gui *Gui) isMainPanelSplit() bool {
-	return gui.State.SplitMainPanel
-}