diff --git a/src/plugins/git/branchmodel.cpp b/src/plugins/git/branchmodel.cpp
index 4c78bf51087..047b3ebf99d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/branchmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/git/branchmodel.cpp
@@ -341,15 +341,17 @@ bool BranchModel::refresh(const QString &workingDirectory, QString *errorMessage
     clear();
     if (workingDirectory.isEmpty()) {
         endResetModel();
-        return false;
+        return true;
     }
 
     m_currentSha = m_client->synchronousTopRevision(workingDirectory);
     const QStringList args = {"--format=%(objectname)\t%(refname)\t%(upstream:short)\t"
                               "%(*objectname)\t%(committerdate:raw)\t%(*committerdate:raw)"};
     QString output;
-    if (!m_client->synchronousForEachRefCmd(workingDirectory, args, &output, errorMessage))
-        VcsOutputWindow::appendError(*errorMessage);
+    if (!m_client->synchronousForEachRefCmd(workingDirectory, args, &output, errorMessage)) {
+        endResetModel();
+        return false;
+    }
 
     m_workingDirectory = workingDirectory;
     const QStringList lines = output.split('\n');