diff --git a/src/components/repo/RepoLog.tsx b/src/components/repo/RepoLog.tsx
index 3044d22..97b513c 100644
--- a/src/components/repo/RepoLog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/repo/RepoLog.tsx
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ import { RepoCommit as RepoCommitComponent } from './RepoCommit'
 import { WorkspacePaneHeader } from './WorkspacePaneHeader'
 
 type RepoLogProps = {
+  branch?: string
   repo: Repo
 }
 
-export function RepoLog({ repo }: RepoLogProps) {
+export function RepoLog({ branch, repo }: RepoLogProps) {
   const [commits, setCommits] = useState<RepoCommit[] | null>(null)
   const [error, setError] = useState<Error | null>(null)
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ export function RepoLog({ repo }: RepoLogProps) {
       setError(null)
 
       try {
-        const response = await getRecentCommits(repo)
+        const response = await getRecentCommits(repo, { branch })
         if (!cancelled) setCommits(response)
       } catch (caught) {
         if (!cancelled) {
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ export function RepoLog({ repo }: RepoLogProps) {
     return () => {
       cancelled = true
     }
-  }, [repo])
+  }, [branch, repo])
 
   if (error) {
     return <p role="alert">Could not load commits: {error.message}</p>
diff --git a/src/components/repo/RepoWorkspace.tsx b/src/components/repo/RepoWorkspace.tsx
index 6a70bb3..7afcfe8 100644
--- a/src/components/repo/RepoWorkspace.tsx
+++ b/src/components/repo/RepoWorkspace.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export function RepoWorkspace({ initialTree, repo }: RepoWorkspaceProps) {
         <RepoTree repo={repo} initialTree={initialTree} />
       </div>
       <div className="order-1 min-w-0 lg:order-2">
-        <RepoLog repo={repo} />
+        <RepoLog repo={repo} branch={initialTree?.ref} />
       </div>
     </div>
   )
diff --git a/src/lib/tangled/repo.ts b/src/lib/tangled/repo.ts
index 159b226..fedf2f7 100644
--- a/src/lib/tangled/repo.ts
+++ b/src/lib/tangled/repo.ts
@@ -155,9 +155,17 @@ export async function getRepoLog(
   return commits.text()
 }
 
-export async function getRecentCommits(repo: Repo, limit = 5): Promise<RepoCommit[]> {
-  const branch = await getDefaultBranch(repo)
-  const raw = await getRepoLog(repo, branch.name, { limit })
+export type RecentCommitsOptions = {
+  branch?: string
+  limit?: number
+}
+
+export async function getRecentCommits(
+  repo: Repo,
+  options: RecentCommitsOptions = {},
+): Promise<RepoCommit[]> {
+  const branch = options.branch ?? (await getDefaultBranch(repo)).name
+  const raw = await getRepoLog(repo, branch, { limit: options.limit ?? 5 })
 
   let parsed: unknown
   try {