diff --git a/pkg/commands/branch_list_builder.go b/pkg/commands/branch_list_builder.go
index 43ba2cf9d..421ffecc7 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/branch_list_builder.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/branch_list_builder.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (b *BranchListBuilder) obtainCurrentBranchName() string {
 }
 
 func (b *BranchListBuilder) obtainBranches() []*Branch {
-	cmdStr := `git branch --format="%(HEAD)|%(refname:short)|%(upstream:short)|%(upstream:track)"`
+	cmdStr := `git for-each-ref --sort=-committerdate --format="%(HEAD)|%(refname:short)|%(upstream:short)|%(upstream:track)" refs/heads`
 	output, err := b.GitCommand.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput(cmdStr)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
@@ -51,40 +51,48 @@ func (b *BranchListBuilder) obtainBranches() []*Branch {
 
 	trimmedOutput := strings.TrimSpace(output)
 	outputLines := strings.Split(trimmedOutput, "\n")
-	branches := make([]*Branch, len(outputLines))
-	for i, line := range outputLines {
+	branches := make([]*Branch, 0, len(outputLines))
+	for _, line := range outputLines {
+		if line == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+
 		split := strings.Split(line, SEPARATION_CHAR)
 
 		name := split[1]
-		branches[i] = &Branch{
+		branch := &Branch{
 			Name:      name,
 			Pullables: "?",
 			Pushables: "?",
 			Head:      split[0] == "*",
 		}
+
 		upstreamName := split[2]
 		if upstreamName == "" {
+			branches = append(branches, branch)
 			continue
 		}
 
-		branches[i].UpstreamName = upstreamName
+		branch.UpstreamName = upstreamName
 
 		track := split[3]
 		re := regexp.MustCompile(`ahead (\d+)`)
 		match := re.FindStringSubmatch(track)
 		if len(match) > 1 {
-			branches[i].Pushables = match[1]
+			branch.Pushables = match[1]
 		} else {
-			branches[i].Pushables = "0"
+			branch.Pushables = "0"
 		}
 
 		re = regexp.MustCompile(`behind (\d+)`)
 		match = re.FindStringSubmatch(track)
 		if len(match) > 1 {
-			branches[i].Pullables = match[1]
+			branch.Pullables = match[1]
 		} else {
-			branches[i].Pullables = "0"
+			branch.Pullables = "0"
 		}
+
+		branches = append(branches, branch)
 	}
 
 	return branches
@@ -116,12 +124,10 @@ outer:
 
 	branches = append(branchesWithRecency, branches...)
 
-	if len(branches) == 0 {
-		branches = append([]*Branch{{Name: currentBranchName}}, branches...)
-	}
-
+	foundHead := false
 	for i, branch := range branches {
 		if branch.Head {
+			foundHead = true
 			branch.Name = currentBranchName
 			branch.Recency = "  *"
 			branches = append(branches[0:i], branches[i+1:]...)
@@ -129,6 +135,9 @@ outer:
 			break
 		}
 	}
+	if !foundHead {
+		branches = append([]*Branch{{Name: currentBranchName, Head: true, Recency: "  *"}}, branches...)
+	}
 
 	return branches
 }
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git.go b/pkg/commands/git.go
index 2bd852de8..6fabfe273 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git.go
@@ -866,7 +866,7 @@ func (c *GitCommand) CherryPickCommits(commits []*Commit) error {
 
 // GetCommitFiles get the specified commit files
 func (c *GitCommand) GetCommitFiles(commitSha string, patchManager *PatchManager) ([]*CommitFile, error) {
-	files, err := c.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git show --pretty= --name-only --no-renames %s", commitSha)
+	files, err := c.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git diff-tree --no-commit-id --name-only -r --no-renames %s", commitSha)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1108,23 +1108,26 @@ func (c *GitCommand) FetchRemote(remoteName string) error {
 func (c *GitCommand) GetReflogCommits() ([]*Commit, error) {
 	output, err := c.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git reflog --abbrev=20")
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		// assume error means we have no reflog
+		return []*Commit{}, nil
 	}
 
 	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(output), "\n")
-	commits := make([]*Commit, len(lines))
+	commits := make([]*Commit, 0)
 	re := regexp.MustCompile(`(\w+).*HEAD@\{\d+\}: (.*)`)
-	for i, line := range lines {
+	for _, line := range lines {
 		match := re.FindStringSubmatch(line)
 		if len(match) <= 1 {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		commits[i] = &Commit{
+		commit := &Commit{
 			Sha:    match[1],
 			Name:   match[2],
 			Status: "reflog",
 		}
+
+		commits = append(commits, commit)
 	}
 
 	return commits, nil
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_test.go
index 99ab351fa..8070d9610 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_test.go
@@ -1907,7 +1907,7 @@ func TestGitCommandGetCommitFiles(t *testing.T) {
 			"123456",
 			test.CreateMockCommand(t, []*test.CommandSwapper{
 				{
-					Expect:  "git show --pretty= --name-only --no-renames 123456",
+					Expect:  "git diff-tree --no-commit-id --name-only -r --no-renames 123456",
 					Replace: "echo 'hello\nworld'",
 				},
 			}),