branch_get sometimes returns current_branch, which can be NULL (e.g., if you're on a detached HEAD). Try: $ git branch HEAD fatal: no such branch 'HEAD' $ git branch '' fatal: no such branch '' However, it seems weird that we'd check those cases here (and provide such lousy messages). And indeed, dropping that and letting us eventually hit create_branch() gives a much better message: $ git branch HEAD fatal: 'HEAD' is not a valid branch name. $ git branch '' fatal: '' is not a valid branch name. Signed-off-by: Tao Qingyun <taoqy@xxxxxxx> --- builtin/branch.c | 5 ----- 1 file changed, 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c index c396c41533..2367703034 100644 --- a/builtin/branch.c +++ b/builtin/branch.c @@ -809,11 +809,6 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix) git_config_set_multivar(buf.buf, NULL, NULL, 1); strbuf_release(&buf); } else if (argc > 0 && argc <= 2) { - struct branch *branch = branch_get(argv[0]); - - if (!branch) - die(_("no such branch '%s'"), argv[0]); - if (filter.kind != FILTER_REFS_BRANCHES) die(_("-a and -r options to 'git branch' do not make sense with a branch name")); -- 2.19.0