diff --git a/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/GitModifyCommand.java b/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/GitModifyCommand.java
index 05de362b90..ba6df0c1e8 100644
--- a/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/GitModifyCommand.java
+++ b/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/GitModifyCommand.java
@@ -114,19 +114,23 @@ public class GitModifyCommand extends AbstractGitCommand implements ModifyComman
       if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(branch)) {
         try {
           getClone().checkout().setName(branch).setCreateBranch(true).call();
-          ConfigurationStore<GitRepositoryConfig> store = gitRepositoryConfigStoreProvider
-            .get(repository);
-          GitRepositoryConfig gitRepositoryConfig = store
-            .getOptional()
-            .orElse(new GitRepositoryConfig());
-          gitRepositoryConfig.setDefaultBranch(branch);
-          store.set(gitRepositoryConfig);
+          setBranchInConfig(branch);
         } catch (GitAPIException e) {
           throw new InternalRepositoryException(repository, "could not create default branch for initial commit", e);
         }
       }
     }
 
+    private void setBranchInConfig(String branch) {
+      ConfigurationStore<GitRepositoryConfig> store = gitRepositoryConfigStoreProvider
+        .get(repository);
+      GitRepositoryConfig gitRepositoryConfig = store
+        .getOptional()
+        .orElse(new GitRepositoryConfig());
+      gitRepositoryConfig.setDefaultBranch(branch);
+      store.set(gitRepositoryConfig);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void addFileToScm(String name, Path file) {
       addToGitWithLfsSupport(name, file);