diff --git a/app/helpers/projects_helper.rb b/app/helpers/projects_helper.rb
index 898ce6a3af7..9cda3b78761 100644
--- a/app/helpers/projects_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/projects_helper.rb
@@ -390,21 +390,7 @@ module ProjectsHelper
       "success"
     end
   end
-
-  def new_readme_path
-    ref = @repository.root_ref if @repository
-    ref ||= 'master'
-
-    namespace_project_new_blob_path(@project.namespace, @project, tree_join(ref), file_name: 'README.md')
-  end
-
-  def new_license_path
-    ref = @repository.root_ref if @repository
-    ref ||= 'master'
-
-    namespace_project_new_blob_path(@project.namespace, @project, tree_join(ref), file_name: 'LICENSE')
-  end
-
+  
   def readme_cache_key
     sha = @project.commit.try(:sha) || 'nil'
     [@project.path_with_namespace, sha, "readme"].join('-')
diff --git a/app/views/projects/_readme.html.haml b/app/views/projects/_readme.html.haml
index 369a847e7d4..b6fb08b68e9 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/_readme.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/_readme.html.haml
@@ -18,5 +18,5 @@
         distributed with computer software, forming part of its documentation.
       %p
         We recommend you to
-        = link_to "add a README", new_readme_path, class: 'underlined-link'
+        = link_to "add a README", add_special_file_path(@project, file_name: 'README.md'), class: 'underlined-link'
         file to the repository and GitLab will render it here instead of this message.
diff --git a/app/views/projects/empty.html.haml b/app/views/projects/empty.html.haml
index 7a39064adc5..c0a83091c8c 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/empty.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/empty.html.haml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     %p
       Otherwise you can start with adding a
       = succeed ',' do
-        = link_to "README", new_readme_path, class: 'underlined-link'
+        = link_to "README", add_special_file_path(@project, file_name: 'README.md'), class: 'underlined-link'
       a
       = succeed ',' do
         = link_to "LICENSE", add_special_file_path(@project, file_name: 'LICENSE'), class: 'underlined-link'
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/mr-origin-7855.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/mr-origin-7855.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0fdc6153d55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/mr-origin-7855.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+title: Provides a sensible default message when adding a README to a project
+merge_request: 7903
+author: