diff --git a/app/models/repository.rb b/app/models/repository.rb
index b28fe79e19c..f0de2697dfc 100644
--- a/app/models/repository.rb
+++ b/app/models/repository.rb
@@ -489,13 +489,7 @@ class Repository
   def exists?
     return false unless full_path
 
-    Gitlab::GitalyClient.migrate(:repository_exists) do |enabled|
-      if enabled
-        raw_repository.exists?
-      else
-        refs_directory_exists?
-      end
-    end
+    raw_repository.exists?
   end
   cache_method :exists?
 
@@ -1063,12 +1057,6 @@ class Repository
     blob.data
   end
 
-  def refs_directory_exists?
-    circuit_breaker.perform do
-      File.exist?(File.join(path_to_repo, 'refs'))
-    end
-  end
-
   def cache
     # TODO: should we use UUIDs here? We could move repositories without clearing this cache
     @cache ||= RepositoryCache.new(full_path, @project.id)
@@ -1120,10 +1108,6 @@ class Repository
     Gitlab::Git::Repository.new(project.repository_storage, disk_path + '.git', Gitlab::GlRepository.gl_repository(project, false))
   end
 
-  def circuit_breaker
-    @circuit_breaker ||= Gitlab::Git::Storage::CircuitBreaker.for_storage(project.repository_storage)
-  end
-
   def find_commits_by_message_by_shelling_out(query, ref, path, limit, offset)
     ref ||= root_ref
 
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/zj-repo-gitaly.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/zj-repo-gitaly.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..634f6ba1b8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/zj-repo-gitaly.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Gitaly RepositoryExists remains opt-in for all method calls
+merge_request:
+author:
+type: fixed
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb b/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
index 616b075c087..8c1df650567 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
@@ -73,8 +73,6 @@ module Gitlab
       delegate  :empty?,
                 to: :rugged
 
-      delegate :exists?, to: :gitaly_repository_client
-
       def ==(other)
         path == other.path
       end
@@ -102,6 +100,18 @@ module Gitlab
         @circuit_breaker ||= Gitlab::Git::Storage::CircuitBreaker.for_storage(storage)
       end
 
+      def exists?
+        Gitlab::GitalyClient.migrate(:repository_exists) do |enabled|
+          if enabled
+            gitaly_repository_client.exists?
+          else
+            circuit_breaker.perform do
+              File.exist?(File.join(@path, 'refs'))
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
       # Returns an Array of branch names
       # sorted by name ASC
       def branch_names