@@ -78,10 +78,8 @@ def test_init_repo_object(self, rw_dir):
         self.assertEqual(repo.refs[active_branch.name], repo.heads[active_branch.name])  # .refs provides all refs...
 
         if "TRAVIS" not in os.environ:
-            remote_head = repo.remotes.origin.refs.HEAD.reference
-            self.assertEqual(
-                repo.refs[remote_head.name], repo.remotes.origin.refs[remote_head.remote_head]
-            )  # ...remotes...
+            remote_branch = next(ref for ref in repo.remotes.origin.refs if ref.remote_head != "HEAD")
+            self.assertEqual(repo.refs[remote_branch.name], remote_branch)  # ...remotes...
         self.assertEqual(repo.refs["0.3.5"], repo.tags["0.3.5"])  # ... and tags.
         # ![8-test_init_repo_object]
 
@@ -147,9 +145,9 @@ def update(self, op_code, cur_count, max_count=None, message=""):
         assert origin.exists()
         for fetch_info in origin.fetch(progress=MyProgressPrinter()):
             print("Updated %s to %s" % (fetch_info.ref, fetch_info.commit))
-        # Create a local branch at the remote's default branch.
-        remote_default_branch = origin.refs.HEAD.reference
-        bare_branch = bare_repo.create_head(remote_default_branch.remote_head, remote_default_branch)
+        # Create a local branch at one of the remote's branches.
+        remote_branch = next(ref for ref in origin.refs if ref.remote_head != "HEAD")
+        bare_branch = bare_repo.create_head(remote_branch.remote_head, remote_branch)
         bare_repo.head.set_reference(bare_branch)
         assert not bare_repo.delete_remote(origin).exists()
         # push and pull behave very similarly.