diff --git a/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/GitUtil.java b/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/GitUtil.java
index 6fe3211ca8..8985966220 100644
--- a/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/GitUtil.java
+++ b/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/GitUtil.java
@@ -697,6 +697,32 @@ public final class GitUtil
     //J+
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Method description
+   *
+   *
+   * @param ref
+   *
+   * @return
+   */
+  public static boolean isHead(String ref)
+  {
+    return ref.startsWith(REF_HEAD_PREFIX);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Method description
+   *
+   *
+   * @param id
+   *
+   * @return
+   */
+  public static boolean isValidObjectId(ObjectId id)
+  {
+    return (id != null) &&!id.equals(ObjectId.zeroId());
+  }
+
   //~--- methods --------------------------------------------------------------
 
   /**
diff --git a/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/AbstractGitPushOrPullCommand.java b/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/AbstractGitPushOrPullCommand.java
index 04838403f3..764dde47f3 100644
--- a/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/AbstractGitPushOrPullCommand.java
+++ b/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/AbstractGitPushOrPullCommand.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import sonia.scm.repository.GitRepositoryHandler;
+import sonia.scm.repository.GitUtil;
 import sonia.scm.repository.RepositoryException;
 
 //~--- JDK imports ------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -253,21 +254,24 @@ public abstract class AbstractGitPushOrPullCommand extends AbstractGitCommand
   {
     long counter = 0;
 
-    try
+    if (GitUtil.isHead(update.getRemoteName()))
     {
-      org.eclipse.jgit.api.LogCommand log = git.log();
-      ObjectId oldId = update.getExpectedOldObjectId();
-
-      if (oldId != null)
+      try
       {
-        log.not(oldId);
-      }
+        org.eclipse.jgit.api.LogCommand log = git.log();
+        ObjectId oldId = update.getExpectedOldObjectId();
 
-      ObjectId newId = update.getNewObjectId();
+        if (GitUtil.isValidObjectId(oldId))
+        {
+          log.not(oldId);
+        }
 
-      if (newId != null)
-      {
-        log.add(newId);
+        ObjectId newId = update.getNewObjectId();
+
+        if (GitUtil.isValidObjectId(newId))
+        {
+          log.add(newId);
+        }
 
         Iterable<RevCommit> commits = log.call();
 
@@ -275,16 +279,17 @@ public abstract class AbstractGitPushOrPullCommand extends AbstractGitCommand
         {
           counter += Iterables.size(commits);
         }
-      }
-      else
-      {
-        logger.warn("update without new object id");
-      }
 
+        logger.trace("counting {} commits for ref update {}", counter, update);
+      }
+      catch (Exception ex)
+      {
+        logger.error("could not count pushed/pulled changesets", ex);
+      }
     }
-    catch (Exception ex)
+    else
     {
-      logger.error("could not count pushed/pulled changesets", ex);
+      logger.debug("do not count non branch ref update {}", update);
     }
 
     return counter;
diff --git a/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/GitPullCommand.java b/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/GitPullCommand.java
index 0c4795c619..ec0f468a57 100644
--- a/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/GitPullCommand.java
+++ b/scm-plugins/scm-git-plugin/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/GitPullCommand.java
@@ -152,6 +152,8 @@ public class GitPullCommand extends AbstractGitPushOrPullCommand
       counter += count(git, tru);
     }
 
+    logger.debug("received {} changesets by pull", counter);
+
     return new PullResponse(counter);
   }
 
@@ -168,21 +170,25 @@ public class GitPullCommand extends AbstractGitPushOrPullCommand
   {
     long counter = 0;
 
-    try
+    if (GitUtil.isHead(tru.getLocalName()))
     {
-      org.eclipse.jgit.api.LogCommand log = git.log();
-      ObjectId oldId = tru.getOldObjectId();
-
-      if (oldId != null)
+      try
       {
-        log.not(oldId);
-      }
+        org.eclipse.jgit.api.LogCommand log = git.log();
 
-      ObjectId newId = tru.getNewObjectId();
+        ObjectId oldId = tru.getOldObjectId();
 
-      if (newId != null)
-      {
-        log.add(newId);
+        if (GitUtil.isValidObjectId(oldId))
+        {
+          log.not(oldId);
+        }
+
+        ObjectId newId = tru.getNewObjectId();
+
+        if (GitUtil.isValidObjectId(newId))
+        {
+          log.add(newId);
+        }
 
         Iterable<RevCommit> commits = log.call();
 
@@ -190,16 +196,17 @@ public class GitPullCommand extends AbstractGitPushOrPullCommand
         {
           counter += Iterables.size(commits);
         }
-      }
-      else
-      {
-        logger.warn("update without new object id");
-      }
 
+        logger.trace("counting {} commits for ref update {}", counter, tru);
+      }
+      catch (Exception ex)
+      {
+        logger.error("could not count pushed/pulled changesets", ex);
+      }
     }
-    catch (Exception ex)
+    else
     {
-      logger.error("could not count pushed/pulled changesets", ex);
+      logger.debug("do not count non branch ref update {}", tru);
     }
 
     return counter;