diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index 14fc158ede1..611c64c8f49 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -1384,6 +1384,7 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
       repository.raw_repository.write_ref('HEAD', "refs/heads/#{branch}")
       repository.copy_gitattributes(branch)
       repository.after_change_head
+      ProjectCacheWorker.perform_async(self.id, [], [:commit_count])
       reload_default_branch
     else
       errors.add(:base, "Could not change HEAD: branch '#{branch}' does not exist")
diff --git a/app/workers/project_cache_worker.rb b/app/workers/project_cache_worker.rb
index d27b5e62574..b31099bc670 100644
--- a/app/workers/project_cache_worker.rb
+++ b/app/workers/project_cache_worker.rb
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class ProjectCacheWorker
   # rubocop: enable CodeReuse/ActiveRecord
 
   def update_statistics(project, statistics = [])
+    return if Gitlab::Database.read_only?
     return unless try_obtain_lease_for(project.id, :update_statistics)
 
     Rails.logger.info("Updating statistics for project #{project.id}")
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/refresh-commit-count-after-head-change.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/refresh-commit-count-after-head-change.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..27e278958b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/refresh-commit-count-after-head-change.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Refresh commit count after repository head changes
+merge_request: 26473
+author:
+type: fixed
diff --git a/spec/models/project_spec.rb b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
index 328133e5c3c..1ea54eeb4f7 100644
--- a/spec/models/project_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
@@ -2379,6 +2379,12 @@ describe Project do
       project.change_head(project.default_branch)
     end
 
+    it 'updates commit count' do
+      expect(ProjectCacheWorker).to receive(:perform_async).with(project.id, [], [:commit_count])
+
+      project.change_head(project.default_branch)
+    end
+
     it 'copies the gitattributes' do
       expect(project.repository).to receive(:copy_gitattributes).with(project.default_branch)
       project.change_head(project.default_branch)