git fetch couldn t find remote ref from branch

git pull remote branch cannot find remote ref

stackoverflow.com › questions › 11552437 › git-pull-remote-branch-cannot-find-remote-ref

Be careful - you have case mixing between local and remote branch!

Suppose you are in local branch downloadmanager now (git checkout downloadmanager)

You have next options:

Specify remote branch in pull/push commands every time (case sensitive):

git pull origin DownloadManager

or

git pull origin downloadmanager:DownloadManager

Specify tracking branch on next push:

git push -u origin DownloadManager

(-u is a short form of --set-upstream)

this will persist downloadmanager:DownloadManager link in config automatically (same result, as the next step).

Set in git config default remote tracking branch:

git branch -u downloadmanager origin/DownloadManager

(note, since git 1.8 for branch command -u is a short form of --set-upstream-to, which is a bit different from deprecated --set-upstream)

or edit config manually (I prefer this way):

git config --local -e

-> This will open editor. Add block below (guess, after "master" block):
```
[branch "downloadmanager"]
        remote = origin
        merge = refs/heads/DownloadManager
```

and after any of those steps you can use easily:

git pull

If you use TortoiseGit: RightClick on repo -> TortoiseGit -> Settings -> Git -> Edit local .git/config

Answer from radistao on Stack Overflow

Stack Overflow

stackoverflow.com › questions › 11552437 › git-pull-remote-branch-cannot-find-remote-ref

git pull remote branch cannot find remote ref - Stack Overflow

Top answer

1 of 16

144

Be careful - you have case mixing between local and remote branch!

Suppose you are in local branch downloadmanager now (git checkout downloadmanager)

You have next options:

Specify remote branch in pull/push commands every time (case sensitive):

git pull origin DownloadManager

or

git pull origin downloadmanager:DownloadManager

Specify tracking branch on next push:

git push -u origin DownloadManager

(-u is a short form of --set-upstream)

this will persist downloadmanager:DownloadManager link in config automatically (same result, as the next step).

Set in git config default remote tracking branch:

git branch -u downloadmanager origin/DownloadManager

(note, since git 1.8 for branch command -u is a short form of --set-upstream-to, which is a bit different from deprecated --set-upstream)

or edit config manually (I prefer this way):

git config --local -e

-> This will open editor. Add block below (guess, after "master" block):
```
[branch "downloadmanager"]
        remote = origin
        merge = refs/heads/DownloadManager
```

and after any of those steps you can use easily:

git pull

If you use TortoiseGit: RightClick on repo -> TortoiseGit -> Settings -> Git -> Edit local .git/config

2 of 16

This error happens because of local repository can't identify the remote branch at first time. So you need to do it first. It can be done using following commands:

git remote add origin 'url_of_your_github_project'

git push -u origin master

Git couldn't find remote ref for a tag or commit hash

git branch - Git pull no such remote ref error

Fail to use git pull "Couldn't find remote ref xxx"

svn - git pull-remote branch cannot find remote ref [ Tried many solution yet failed ]

git pull displays "fatal: Couldn't find remote ref refs/heads/xxxx" and hangs up

More results from stackoverflow.com

reddit.com › r/git › "couldn't find remote ref master"

r/git on Reddit: "Couldn't find remote ref master"

January 6, 2021 -

[SOLVED]

Well, it's my first time dealing with this "Git interface". After using commands like:

"git init"

"git remote add origin [link of my repository on Github with that ".git" after its link]"

I tried to make that "pull" command:

"git pull origin master"

however, it's probably not working due to this warning thrown by the terminal:

"fatal: couldn't find remote ref master"

Why is this error happening? How should I fix it?

Top answer

1 of 2

Is the remote branch actually called "master"?

2 of 2

Have you created the repository on GitHub? It's seems you've created the local repo with git init but you need the remote repo created as well.

Discussions

Fatal : couldn't find remote ref

Select Topic Area Question Body Could day I am a bit stuck and after googling for hours I thought its time to put up my hand and call for help ... I forked an upstream repo Created a PR-branch to a... More on github.com

github.com

March 1, 2026

Could not find remote ref #git fetch origin

Hi, I have an issue about a build for my test. During the git clone step, the git command line git: git "fetch" "origin" "pull/id/merge:pull/id » failed, it doesn’t find my pullRequest. I don’t know if it is an error knew with bitrise or it’s an other problem… More on discuss.bitrise.io

discuss.bitrise.io

March 28, 2017

Git Error when rebuilding app - couldn’t find remote ref refs/heads/tests-passed

Hi guys, I´m getting this error when I rebuild the app Pups::ExecError: cd /var/www/discourse && sudo -H -E -u discourse bash -c ’ set -o errexit if [ $(git rev-parse --is-shallow-repository) == “true” ]; then git remote set-branches --add origin main git remote set-branches origin ... More on meta.discourse.org

meta.discourse.org

November 20, 2024

fatal: coudn't find remote ref master

Having trouble pulling updates from master? (fatal: coudn't find remote ref master) Try the following to fix your remote/upstream references: git pull origin git checkout -b main git branch mai... More on github.com

github.com

July 22, 2020

Top answer

1 of 12

Check the branch you are on (git branch), check the configuration for that branch (in .../.git/config), you probably are on the wrong branch or your configuration for it tells to merge with a (now?) non-existent remote branch.

2 of 12

In my case, my local branch was not set to track the remote branch. I had to manually run:

git pull origin remotebranch

Then next time you do a push do "git push -u" to set up correct tracking.

GitHub

github.com › orgs › community › discussions › 188345

Fatal : couldn't find remote ref · community · Discussion #188345

Top answer

1 of 1

Hi @johnwslongland 👋

Not a dumb question at all. Yes you can safely remove that fetch line from your .git/config. It’s forcing Git to fetch a branch that no longer exists, which is why git fetch upstream keeps failing. Either delete that line or reset the upstream remote (git remote remove upstream → git remote add upstream <repo-url>), then fetch again. That should resolve the error 👍

Bitrise

discuss.bitrise.io › question & answer › builds

Could not find remote ref #git fetch origin - Builds - Bitrise Discussions

March 28, 2017 - Hi, I have an issue about a build for my test. During the git clone step, the git command line git: git "fetch" "origin" "pull/id/merge:pull/id » failed, it doesn’t find my pullRequest. I don’t know if it is an error k…

Atlassian Support

support.atlassian.com › bitbucket-data-center › kb › couldnt-find-remote-ref-error-in-bitbucket

"Couldn't find remote ref" error in Bitbucket | Bitbucket Data Center | Atlassian Support

April 24, 2025 - /usr/local/bin/git fetch ... refs/heads/bug/ARGUS-23284 fatal: The remote end hung up unexpectedly · This can happen when are using a fork-merge like workflow for your development project, so all your developers always have an up-to-date master in their own fork and ...

DevErrors

deverrors.com › home › git › fatal: couldn't find remote ref

Deverrors

May 28, 2026 - Fix Git's "fatal: couldn't find remote ref" error caused by deleted, renamed, or stale branch refs. Run git fetch --prune and check the exact branch name.

Find elsewhere

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GoLinuxCloud

golinuxcloud.com › home › devops › git › git fix: fatal: couldn't find remote ref main (complete guide)

Git Fix: fatal: couldn't find remote ref main (Complete Guide) | GoLinuxCloud

March 15, 2026 - This typically happens when the branch name is incorrect, the branch does not exist on the remote server, or the repository configuration is outdated. This issue commonly appears during commands such as git pull, git fetch, or git clone when ...

Laracasts

laracasts.com › discuss › channels › code-review › fatal-couldnt-find-remote-ref-main

fatal: couldn't find remote ref main

I am using gitlab and the branch is called main · Like Reply · Sinnbeck · 4 years ago · Level 102 · ReplyReport Spam · @davy_yg So check your remote git remote -v · Like Reply · davy_yg · OP · 4 years ago · Level 27 · ReplyReport Spam · [advancew@sjc02 zws_framework_2]$ git remote -v origin .git/ (fetch) origin .git/ (push) [advancew@sjc02 zws_framework_2]$ git pull origin main fatal: couldn't find remote ref main ·

Tabby Data

tabbydata.com › home › why does the error fatal: couldn’t find remote ref occur and how can i fix it?

Why Does the Error Fatal: Couldn't Find Remote Ref Occur and How Can I Fix It?

December 24, 2025 - To resolve the “Fatal: Couldn’T Find Remote Ref” error, consider the following troubleshooting steps: Verify Branch Name: Double-check the exact name of the branch or tag you want to push or pull. Use `git branch -r` to list remote branches and confirm the correct name.

Medium

medium.com › @DulanaSenavirathna › how-to-fix-cannot-lock-ref-refs-remotes-origin-branchname-during-a-git-fetch-c8daf7aac56c

How to Fix: Cannot Lock Ref ‘refs/remotes/origin/<branchName>’ During a Git Fetch? | by Dulana Senavirathna | Medium

November 27, 2024 - In this article, we’ll dive into the problem, its causes, and how to resolve it with practical steps. By the end, you'll also learn how to keep your Git repository clean and conflict-free in the future. ... error: cannot lock ref 'refs/remotes/origin/<branchName>': unable to resolve reference error: failed to fetch some references from '<remote-repo>'

Discourse

meta.discourse.org › support › self-hosting

Git Error when rebuilding app - couldn’t find remote ref refs/heads/tests-passed - Self-hosting - Discourse Meta

November 20, 2024 - Hi guys, I´m getting this error when I rebuild the app Pups::ExecError: cd /var/www/discourse && sudo -H -E -u discourse bash -c ’ set -o errexit if [ $(git rev-parse --is-shallow-repository) == “true” ]; then git remote set-branches --add origin main git remote set-branches origin tests-passed git fetch --depth 1 origin tests-passed else git fetch --tags --prune-tags --prune --force origin fi ’ failed with return # When I execute this: git fetc...

Baeldung

baeldung.com › home › git › git missing refs resulting in not something we can merge and did not match any file(s) known

Git Missing Refs Resulting in not something we can merge and did not match any file(s) known | Baeldung on Ops

July 6, 2024 - $ git pull origin master From ../remote * branch master -> FETCH_HEAD

GitHub

github.com › openshift-evangelists › kbe › issues › 55

fatal: coudn't find remote ref master · Issue #55 · openshift-evangelists/kbe

July 22, 2020 - Having trouble pulling updates from master? (fatal: coudn't find remote ref master) Try the following to fix your remote/upstream references: git pull origin git checkout -b main git branch main -u origin/main git remote set-head origin ...

Author openshift-evangelists

GitHub

github.com › readthedocs › readthedocs.org › issues › 10787

git fetch failed with "couldn't find remote ref" when version was "origin/master" instead of master · Issue #10787 · readthedocs/readthedocs.org

October 2, 2023 - git fetch origin --force --prune --prune-tags --depth 50 refs/heads/origin/master:refs/remotes/origin/origin/master fatal: couldn't find remote ref refs/heads/origin/master

Author readthedocs

Stack Overflow

stackoverflow.com › questions › 23200552 › git-couldnt-find-remote-ref-but-i-cant-either

Git couldn't find remote ref... but I can't either - Stack Overflow

Top answer

1 of 2

I couldn't find a way to remove this via the command line, so I just edited my Git config file at .git/config and removed this line:

fetch = refs/heads/2013.rel25:refs/remotes/origin/2013.rel25

2 of 2

-1

One of way to deal with this problem is to clone the project from remote and you will have Clean files without any errors.

Saywebsolutions

saywebsolutions.com › blog › git-github-error-fatal-couldnt-find-remote-ref-master

Git Error | Say Web Solutions

October 8, 2020 - # Switch to "master" branch git checkout master # Rename "master" branch to "main" git branch -m master main # Get latest commits and branches from remote git fetch # Remove existing connection with "master" git branch --unset-upstream # Create connection with new "main" branch git branch -u origin/main

Arch Linux Forums

bbs.archlinux.org › viewtopic.php

[SOLVED] "fatal: Couldn't find remote ref HEAD" / AUR Issues, Discussion & PKGBUILD Requests / Arch Linux Forums

December 5, 2019 - aur ssh://aur@aur.archlinux.or... by convenience stores... that weren't on the way home." ... aur.archlinux.org/daemon-engine.git is an empty repository, which is why it can't find remote ref master....

Araqev

araqev.com › home › why am i seeing ‘fatal: couldn’t find remote ref’? understanding this common git error

Why Am I Seeing 'fatal: couldn't find remote ref'? Understanding This Common Git Error

April 13, 2025 - To resolve the `fatal: couldn’t find remote ref` error, follow these troubleshooting steps: Verify the Remote URL: Check that the remote URL is correct by running: “`bash git remote -v “` Ensure that the URL points to the correct repository. Check Branches and Tags: Use the following ...