diff --git a/modules/git/repo.go b/modules/git/repo.go
index 663e13dc18fff..7b53d6d178a49 100644
--- a/modules/git/repo.go
+++ b/modules/git/repo.go
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ func (repo *Repository) IsEmpty() (bool, error) {
 	var errbuf strings.Builder
 	if err := NewCommandContext(repo.Ctx, "log", "-1").RunInDirPipeline(repo.Path, nil, &errbuf); err != nil {
 		if strings.Contains(errbuf.String(), "fatal: bad default revision 'HEAD'") ||
-			strings.Contains(errbuf.String(), "fatal: your current branch 'master' does not have any commits yet") {
+			(strings.Contains(errbuf.String(), "fatal: your current branch '") &&
+				strings.Contains(errbuf.String(), "' does not have any commits yet")) {
 			return true, nil
 		}
 		return true, fmt.Errorf("check empty: %v - %s", err, errbuf.String())
diff --git a/modules/git/tests/repos/repo2_empty/HEAD b/modules/git/tests/repos/repo2_empty/HEAD
index cb089cd89a7d7..a64f363ee42c9 100644
--- a/modules/git/tests/repos/repo2_empty/HEAD
+++ b/modules/git/tests/repos/repo2_empty/HEAD
@@ -1 +1 @@
-ref: refs/heads/master
+ref: refs/heads/unicorn