diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/refresh_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/refresh_helper.go
index 5c5e470b3..6c9064519 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/refresh_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/refresh_helper.go
@@ -342,6 +342,9 @@ func (self *RefreshHelper) refreshStateSubmoduleConfigs() error {
 // self.refreshStatus is called at the end of this because that's when we can
 // be sure there is a State.Model.Branches array to pick the current branch from
 func (self *RefreshHelper) refreshBranches() {
+	self.c.Mutexes().RefreshingBranchesMutex.Lock()
+	defer self.c.Mutexes().RefreshingBranchesMutex.Unlock()
+
 	reflogCommits := self.c.Model().FilteredReflogCommits
 	if self.c.Modes().Filtering.Active() {
 		// in filter mode we filter our reflog commits to just those containing the path
diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui.go b/pkg/gui/gui.go
index 5f5955e5a..33057ba42 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui.go
@@ -448,14 +448,15 @@ func NewGui(
 		// sake of backwards compatibility. We're making use of short circuiting here
 		ShowExtrasWindow: cmn.UserConfig.Gui.ShowCommandLog && !config.GetAppState().HideCommandLog,
 		Mutexes: types.Mutexes{
-			RefreshingFilesMutex:  &deadlock.Mutex{},
-			RefreshingStatusMutex: &deadlock.Mutex{},
-			SyncMutex:             &deadlock.Mutex{},
-			LocalCommitsMutex:     &deadlock.Mutex{},
-			SubCommitsMutex:       &deadlock.Mutex{},
-			SubprocessMutex:       &deadlock.Mutex{},
-			PopupMutex:            &deadlock.Mutex{},
-			PtyMutex:              &deadlock.Mutex{},
+			RefreshingFilesMutex:    &deadlock.Mutex{},
+			RefreshingBranchesMutex: &deadlock.Mutex{},
+			RefreshingStatusMutex:   &deadlock.Mutex{},
+			SyncMutex:               &deadlock.Mutex{},
+			LocalCommitsMutex:       &deadlock.Mutex{},
+			SubCommitsMutex:         &deadlock.Mutex{},
+			SubprocessMutex:         &deadlock.Mutex{},
+			PopupMutex:              &deadlock.Mutex{},
+			PtyMutex:                &deadlock.Mutex{},
 		},
 		InitialDir: initialDir,
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/types/common.go b/pkg/gui/types/common.go
index 184288c0a..5a55c85be 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/types/common.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/types/common.go
@@ -217,14 +217,15 @@ type Model struct {
 // if you add a new mutex here be sure to instantiate it. We're using pointers to
 // mutexes so that we can pass the mutexes to controllers.
 type Mutexes struct {
-	RefreshingFilesMutex  *deadlock.Mutex
-	RefreshingStatusMutex *deadlock.Mutex
-	SyncMutex             *deadlock.Mutex
-	LocalCommitsMutex     *deadlock.Mutex
-	SubCommitsMutex       *deadlock.Mutex
-	SubprocessMutex       *deadlock.Mutex
-	PopupMutex            *deadlock.Mutex
-	PtyMutex              *deadlock.Mutex
+	RefreshingFilesMutex    *deadlock.Mutex
+	RefreshingBranchesMutex *deadlock.Mutex
+	RefreshingStatusMutex   *deadlock.Mutex
+	SyncMutex               *deadlock.Mutex
+	LocalCommitsMutex       *deadlock.Mutex
+	SubCommitsMutex         *deadlock.Mutex
+	SubprocessMutex         *deadlock.Mutex
+	PopupMutex              *deadlock.Mutex
+	PtyMutex                *deadlock.Mutex
 }
 
 type IStateAccessor interface {