diff --git a/app/models/repository.rb b/app/models/repository.rb
index feabfa111fb..ba34d570dbd 100644
--- a/app/models/repository.rb
+++ b/app/models/repository.rb
@@ -505,14 +505,8 @@ class Repository
   delegate :tag_names, to: :raw_repository
   cache_method :tag_names, fallback: []
 
-  def branch_count
-    branches.size
-  end
+  delegate :branch_count, :tag_count, to: :raw_repository
   cache_method :branch_count, fallback: 0
-
-  def tag_count
-    raw_repository.rugged.tags.count
-  end
   cache_method :tag_count, fallback: 0
 
   def avatar
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb b/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
index 18eda0279f7..c3f0de76d01 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
@@ -122,13 +122,30 @@ module Gitlab
 
       # Returns the number of valid branches
       def branch_count
-        rugged.branches.count do |ref|
-          begin
-            ref.name && ref.target # ensures the branch is valid
+        Gitlab::GitalyClient.migrate(:branch_names) do |is_enabled|
+          if is_enabled
+            gitaly_ref_client.count_branch_names
+          else
+            rugged.branches.count do |ref|
+              begin
+                ref.name && ref.target # ensures the branch is valid
 
-            true
-          rescue Rugged::ReferenceError
-            false
+                true
+              rescue Rugged::ReferenceError
+                false
+              end
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      # Returns the number of valid tags
+      def tag_count
+        Gitlab::GitalyClient.migrate(:tag_names) do |is_enabled|
+          if is_enabled
+            gitaly_ref_client.count_tag_names
+          else
+            rugged.tags.count
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/gitaly_client/ref.rb b/lib/gitlab/gitaly_client/ref.rb
index d3c0743db4e..2a5e8f73e55 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/gitaly_client/ref.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/gitaly_client/ref.rb
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@ module Gitlab
         stub.find_ref_name(request).name
       end
 
+      def count_tag_names
+        tag_names.count
+      end
+
+      def count_branch_names
+        branch_names.count
+      end
+
       private
 
       def consume_refs_response(response, prefix:)
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/git/repository_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/git/repository_spec.rb
index f88653cb1fe..1b78910fa3c 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/git/repository_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/git/repository_spec.rb
@@ -1074,20 +1074,8 @@ describe Gitlab::Git::Repository, seed_helper: true do
   end
 
   describe '#branch_count' do
-    before(:each) do
-      valid_ref   = double(:ref)
-      invalid_ref = double(:ref)
-
-      allow(valid_ref).to receive_messages(name: 'master', target: double(:target))
-
-      allow(invalid_ref).to receive_messages(name: 'bad-branch')
-      allow(invalid_ref).to receive(:target) { raise Rugged::ReferenceError }
-
-      allow(repository.rugged).to receive_messages(branches: [valid_ref, invalid_ref])
-    end
-
     it 'returns the number of branches' do
-      expect(repository.branch_count).to eq(1)
+      expect(repository.branch_count).to eq(9)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
index f6846cc1b2f..5216764a82d 100644
--- a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
@@ -1379,12 +1379,22 @@ describe Repository, models: true do
   describe '#branch_count' do
     it 'returns the number of branches' do
       expect(repository.branch_count).to be_an(Integer)
+
+      # NOTE: Until rugged goes away, make sure rugged and gitaly are in sync
+      rugged_count = repository.raw_repository.rugged.branches.count
+
+      expect(repository.branch_count).to eq(rugged_count)
     end
   end
 
   describe '#tag_count' do
     it 'returns the number of tags' do
       expect(repository.tag_count).to be_an(Integer)
+
+      # NOTE: Until rugged goes away, make sure rugged and gitaly are in sync
+      rugged_count = repository.raw_repository.rugged.tags.count
+
+      expect(repository.tag_count).to eq(rugged_count)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/tasks/gitlab/backup_rake_spec.rb b/spec/tasks/gitlab/backup_rake_spec.rb
index 0a4a6ed8145..df2f2ce95e6 100644
--- a/spec/tasks/gitlab/backup_rake_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/tasks/gitlab/backup_rake_spec.rb
@@ -230,11 +230,13 @@ describe 'gitlab:app namespace rake task' do
       before do
         FileUtils.mkdir('tmp/tests/default_storage')
         FileUtils.mkdir('tmp/tests/custom_storage')
+        gitaly_address = Gitlab.config.repositories.storages.default.gitaly_address
         storages = {
-          'default' => { 'path' => Settings.absolute('tmp/tests/default_storage') },
-          'custom' => { 'path' => Settings.absolute('tmp/tests/custom_storage') }
+          'default' => { 'path' => Settings.absolute('tmp/tests/default_storage'), 'gitaly_address' => gitaly_address  },
+          'custom' => { 'path' => Settings.absolute('tmp/tests/custom_storage'), 'gitaly_address' => gitaly_address }
         }
         allow(Gitlab.config.repositories).to receive(:storages).and_return(storages)
+        Gitlab::GitalyClient.configure_channels
 
         # Create the projects now, after mocking the settings but before doing the backup
         project_a