diff --git a/appview/pages/pages.go b/appview/pages/pages.go
index 4deaaef3..34976175 100644
--- a/appview/pages/pages.go
+++ b/appview/pages/pages.go
@@ -612,8 +612,7 @@ type RepoSettingsParams struct {
 	RepoInfo      repoinfo.RepoInfo
 	Collaborators []Collaborator
 	Active        string
-	Branches      []string
-	DefaultBranch string
+	Branches      []types.Branch
 	// TODO: use repoinfo.roles
 	IsCollaboratorInviteAllowed bool
 }
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/empty.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/empty.html
index 7c07626e..32d9b64f 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/empty.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/empty.html
@@ -6,11 +6,29 @@
 {{ end }}
 
 {{ define "repoContent" }}
-    <main>
+  <main>
+    {{ if gt (len .BranchesTrunc) 0 }}
+      <div class="flex flex-col items-center">
         <p class="text-center pt-5 text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500">
-            This is an empty repository. Push some commits here.
+        This branch is empty. Other branches in this repository are populated:
         </p>
-    </main>
+        <div class="mt-4 grid grid-cols-1 divide-y divide-gray-200 dark:divide-gray-700 rounded border border-gray-200 dark:border-gray-700 w-full md:w-1/2">
+          {{ range $br := .BranchesTrunc }}
+          <a href="/{{ $.RepoInfo.FullName }}/tree/{{$br.Name}}" class="no-underline hover:no-underline">
+            <div class="flex items-center justify-between p-2">
+              {{ $br.Name }}
+              <time class="text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">{{ timeFmt $br.Commit.Author.When }}</time>
+            </div>
+          </a>
+          {{ end }}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    {{ else }}
+      <p class="text-center pt-5 text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500">
+          This is an empty repository. Push some commits here.
+      </p>
+    {{ end }}
+  </main>
 {{ end }}
 
 {{ define "repoAfter" }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/settings.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/settings.html
index c41032b5..3dcf9dc2 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/settings.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/settings.html
@@ -55,19 +55,26 @@
         <label for="branch">default branch</label>
         <div class="flex gap-2 items-center">
             <select id="branch" name="branch" required class="p-1 border border-gray-200 bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 dark:text-white dark:border-gray-700">
+                <option
+                    value=""
+                    disabled
+                    selected
+                >
+                Choose a default branch
+                </option>
                 {{ range .Branches }}
                     <option
-                        value="{{ . }}"
+                        value="{{ .Name }}"
                         class="py-1"
-                        {{ if eq . $.DefaultBranch }}
+                        {{ if .IsDefault }}
                             selected
                         {{ end }}
                     >
-                        {{ . }}
+                        {{ .Name }}
                     </option>
                 {{ end }}
             </select>
-            <button class="btn my-2 flex gap-2 items-center" type="text">
+            <button class="btn my-2 flex gap-2 items-center" type="submit">
                 <span>save</span>
                 {{ i "loader-circle" "w-4 h-4 animate-spin hidden group-[.htmx-request]:inline" }}
             </button>
diff --git a/appview/state/repo.go b/appview/state/repo.go
index d37d9939..3454e1d2 100644
--- a/appview/state/repo.go
+++ b/appview/state/repo.go
@@ -981,48 +981,36 @@ func (s *State) RepoSettings(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		var branchNames []string
-		var defaultBranch string
 		us, err := knotclient.NewUnsignedClient(f.Knot, s.config.Core.Dev)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Println("failed to create unsigned client", err)
-		} else {
-			resp, err := us.Branches(f.OwnerDid(), f.RepoName)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Println("failed to reach knotserver", err)
-			} else {
-				defer resp.Body.Close()
+			return
+		}
 
-				body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-				if err != nil {
-					log.Printf("Error reading response body: %v", err)
-				} else {
-					var result types.RepoBranchesResponse
-					err = json.Unmarshal(body, &result)
-					if err != nil {
-						log.Println("failed to parse response:", err)
-					} else {
-						for _, branch := range result.Branches {
-							branchNames = append(branchNames, branch.Name)
-						}
-					}
-				}
-			}
+		resp, err := us.Branches(f.OwnerDid(), f.RepoName)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Println("failed to reach knotserver", err)
+			return
+		}
+		defer resp.Body.Close()
 
-			defaultBranchResp, err := us.DefaultBranch(f.OwnerDid(), f.RepoName)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Println("failed to reach knotserver", err)
-			} else {
-				defaultBranch = defaultBranchResp.Branch
-			}
+		body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("Error reading response body: %v", err)
 		}
+
+		var result types.RepoBranchesResponse
+		err = json.Unmarshal(body, &result)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Println("failed to parse response:", err)
+		}
+
 		s.pages.RepoSettings(w, pages.RepoSettingsParams{
 			LoggedInUser:                user,
 			RepoInfo:                    f.RepoInfo(s, user),
 			Collaborators:               repoCollaborators,
 			IsCollaboratorInviteAllowed: isCollaboratorInviteAllowed,
-			Branches:                    branchNames,
-			DefaultBranch:               defaultBranch,
+			Branches:                    result.Branches,
 		})
 	}
 }