diff --git a/pkg/commands/git.go b/pkg/commands/git.go
index 1b4ec57f5..d4f4ffd03 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git.go
@@ -208,11 +208,6 @@ func includesInt(list []int, a int) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// GetBranchName branch name
-func (c *GitCommand) GetBranchName() (string, error) {
-	return c.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git symbolic-ref --short HEAD")
-}
-
 // ResetHard does the equivalent of `git reset --hard HEAD`
 func (c *GitCommand) ResetHard() error {
 	return c.Worktree.Reset(&gogit.ResetOptions{Mode: gogit.HardReset})
@@ -268,11 +263,14 @@ func (c *GitCommand) NewBranch(name string) error {
 }
 
 func (c *GitCommand) CurrentBranchName() (string, error) {
-	output, err := c.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git symbolic-ref --short HEAD")
+	branchName, err := c.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git symbolic-ref --short HEAD")
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
+		branchName, err = c.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git rev-parse --short HEAD")
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
 	}
-	return utils.TrimTrailingNewline(output), nil
+	return utils.TrimTrailingNewline(branchName), nil
 }
 
 // DeleteBranch delete branch
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_test.go
index 7f111997c..0410ceb2c 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_test.go
@@ -1661,6 +1661,10 @@ func TestGitCommandGetCommits(t *testing.T) {
 					assert.EqualValues(t, []string{"symbolic-ref", "--short", "HEAD"}, args)
 					// here's where we are returning the error
 					return exec.Command("test")
+				case "rev-parse":
+					assert.EqualValues(t, []string{"rev-parse", "--short", "HEAD"}, args)
+					// here too
+					return exec.Command("test")
 				}
 
 				return nil
@@ -1886,7 +1890,6 @@ func TestGitCommandCurrentBranchName(t *testing.T) {
 			"says we are on the master branch if we are",
 			func(cmd string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 				assert.Equal(t, "git", cmd)
-				assert.EqualValues(t, []string{"symbolic-ref", "--short", "HEAD"}, args)
 				return exec.Command("echo", "master")
 			},
 			func(output string, err error) {
@@ -1894,11 +1897,31 @@ func TestGitCommandCurrentBranchName(t *testing.T) {
 				assert.EqualValues(t, "master", output)
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			"falls back to git rev-parse if symbolic-ref fails",
+			func(cmd string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
+				assert.EqualValues(t, "git", cmd)
+
+				switch args[0] {
+				case "symbolic-ref":
+					assert.EqualValues(t, []string{"symbolic-ref", "--short", "HEAD"}, args)
+					return exec.Command("test")
+				case "rev-parse":
+					assert.EqualValues(t, []string{"rev-parse", "--short", "HEAD"}, args)
+					return exec.Command("echo", "master")
+				}
+
+				return nil
+			},
+			func(output string, err error) {
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+				assert.EqualValues(t, "master", output)
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			"bubbles up error if there is one",
 			func(cmd string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 				assert.Equal(t, "git", cmd)
-				assert.EqualValues(t, []string{"symbolic-ref", "--short", "HEAD"}, args)
 				return exec.Command("test")
 			},
 			func(output string, err error) {
diff --git a/pkg/git/branch_list_builder.go b/pkg/git/branch_list_builder.go
index 151e5b0b4..60ec4e060 100644
--- a/pkg/git/branch_list_builder.go
+++ b/pkg/git/branch_list_builder.go
@@ -35,16 +35,12 @@ func NewBranchListBuilder(log *logrus.Entry, gitCommand *commands.GitCommand) (*
 }
 
 func (b *BranchListBuilder) obtainCurrentBranch() *commands.Branch {
-	// I used go-git for this, but that breaks if you've just done a git init,
-	// even though you're on 'master'
-	branchName, err := b.GitCommand.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git symbolic-ref --short HEAD")
+	branchName, err := b.GitCommand.CurrentBranchName()
 	if err != nil {
-		branchName, err = b.GitCommand.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git rev-parse --short HEAD")
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err.Error())
-		}
+		panic(err.Error())
 	}
-	return &commands.Branch{Name: strings.TrimSpace(branchName), Recency: "  *"}
+
+	return &commands.Branch{Name: strings.TrimSpace(branchName)}
 }
 
 func (b *BranchListBuilder) obtainReflogBranches() []*commands.Branch {
@@ -61,7 +57,7 @@ func (b *BranchListBuilder) obtainReflogBranches() []*commands.Branch {
 		branch := &commands.Branch{Name: branchName, Recency: timeNumber + timeUnit}
 		branches = append(branches, branch)
 	}
-	return branches
+	return uniqueByName(branches)
 }
 
 func (b *BranchListBuilder) obtainSafeBranches() []*commands.Branch {
@@ -103,11 +99,8 @@ func (b *BranchListBuilder) Build() []*commands.Branch {
 	branches := make([]*commands.Branch, 0)
 	head := b.obtainCurrentBranch()
 	safeBranches := b.obtainSafeBranches()
-	if len(safeBranches) == 0 {
-		return append(branches, head)
-	}
+
 	reflogBranches := b.obtainReflogBranches()
-	reflogBranches = uniqueByName(append([]*commands.Branch{head}, reflogBranches...))
 	for i, reflogBranch := range reflogBranches {
 		reflogBranches[i].Name = sanitisedReflogName(reflogBranch, safeBranches)
 	}
@@ -115,6 +108,12 @@ func (b *BranchListBuilder) Build() []*commands.Branch {
 	branches = b.appendNewBranches(branches, reflogBranches, safeBranches, true)
 	branches = b.appendNewBranches(branches, safeBranches, branches, false)
 
+	if len(branches) == 0 || branches[0].Name != head.Name {
+		branches = append([]*commands.Branch{head}, branches...)
+	}
+
+	branches[0].Recency = "  *"
+
 	return branches
 }