diff --git a/app/models/repository.rb b/app/models/repository.rb
index ff24b75dcd1..e7523583d03 100644
--- a/app/models/repository.rb
+++ b/app/models/repository.rb
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class Repository
     return @has_visible_content unless @has_visible_content.nil?
 
     @has_visible_content = cache.fetch(:has_visible_content?) do
-      raw_repository.branch_count > 0
+      branch_count > 0
     end
   end
 
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ class Repository
   end
 
   def branch_names
-    cache.fetch(:branch_names) { raw_repository.branch_names }
+    cache.fetch(:branch_names) { branches.map(&:name) }
   end
 
   def tag_names
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ class Repository
   end
 
   def branch_count
-    @branch_count ||= cache.fetch(:branch_count) { raw_repository.branch_count }
+    @branch_count ||= cache.fetch(:branch_count) { branches.size }
   end
 
   def tag_count
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ class Repository
 
   def expire_branches_cache
     cache.expire(:branch_names)
-    @branches = nil
+    @local_branches = nil
   end
 
   def expire_cache(branch_name = nil, revision = nil)
@@ -614,10 +614,14 @@ class Repository
     refs_contains_sha('tag', sha)
   end
 
-  def branches
-    @branches ||= raw_repository.branches
+  def local_branches
+    @local_branches ||= rugged.branches.each(:local).map do |branch|
+      Gitlab::Git::Branch.new(branch.name, branch.target)
+    end
   end
 
+  alias_method :branches, :local_branches
+
   def tags
     @tags ||= raw_repository.tags
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
index 9242a6f1739..c5d5a1c2492 100644
--- a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ describe Repository, models: true do
 
     describe 'when there are no branches' do
       before do
-        allow(repository.raw_repository).to receive(:branch_count).and_return(0)
+        allow(repository).to receive(:branch_count).and_return(0)
       end
 
       it { is_expected.to eq(false) }
@@ -311,13 +311,13 @@ describe Repository, models: true do
 
     describe 'when there are branches' do
       it 'returns true' do
-        expect(repository.raw_repository).to receive(:branch_count).and_return(3)
+        expect(repository).to receive(:branch_count).and_return(3)
 
         expect(subject).to eq(true)
       end
 
       it 'caches the output' do
-        expect(repository.raw_repository).to receive(:branch_count).
+        expect(repository).to receive(:branch_count).
           once.
           and_return(3)
 
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ describe Repository, models: true do
     it 'expires the visible content cache' do
       repository.has_visible_content?
 
-      expect(repository.raw_repository).to receive(:branch_count).
+      expect(repository).to receive(:branch_count).
         once.
         and_return(0)
 
@@ -865,4 +865,21 @@ describe Repository, models: true do
       repository.build_cache
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#local_branches' do
+    it 'returns the local branches' do
+      masterrev = repository.find_branch('master').target
+      create_remote_branch('joe', 'remote_branch', masterrev)
+      repository.add_branch(user, 'local_branch', masterrev)
+
+      expect(repository.local_branches.any? { |branch| branch.name == 'remote_branch' }).to eq(false)
+      expect(repository.local_branches.any? { |branch| branch.name == 'local_branch' }).to eq(true)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def create_remote_branch(remote_name, branch_name, target)
+    rugged = repository.rugged
+    rugged.references.create("refs/remotes/#{remote_name}/#{branch_name}", target)
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/spec/workers/merge_worker_spec.rb b/spec/workers/merge_worker_spec.rb
index b11c5de94e3..1abd87d7d33 100644
--- a/spec/workers/merge_worker_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/workers/merge_worker_spec.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ describe MergeWorker do
 
       merge_request.reload
       expect(merge_request).to be_merged
+
+      source_project.repository.expire_branches_cache
       expect(source_project.repository.branch_names).not_to include('markdown')
     end
   end