@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-[submodule "gitdb"]
-	path = git/ext/gitdb
-	url = git://github.com/gitpython-developers/gitdb.git
-	branch = master
+[submodule "gitdb"]
+	path = git/ext/gitdb
+	url = git://github.com/gitpython-developers/gitdb.git
+	branch = master
@@ -129,7 +129,13 @@ def __init__(self, filepath=None):
 		# END handle filepath
 
 	def _read_from_file(self):
-		fmap = file_contents_ro_filepath(self._path, stream=False, allow_mmap=True)
+		try:
+			fmap = file_contents_ro_filepath(self._path, stream=False, allow_mmap=True)
+		except OSError:
+			# it is possible and allowed that the file doesn't exist !
+			return
+		#END handle invalid log
+		
 		try:
 			self._deserialize(fmap)
 		finally:
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def _iter_packed_refs(cls, repo):
 		"""Returns an iterator yielding pairs of sha1/path pairs for the corresponding refs.
 		:note: The packed refs file will be kept open as long as we iterate"""
 		try:
-			fp = open(cls._get_packed_refs_path(repo), 'r')
+			fp = open(cls._get_packed_refs_path(repo), 'rb')
 			for line in fp:
 				line = line.strip()
 				if not line:
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ def delete(cls, repo, path):
 			# check packed refs
 			pack_file_path = cls._get_packed_refs_path(repo)
 			try:
-				reader = open(pack_file_path)
+				reader = open(pack_file_path, 'rb')
 			except (OSError,IOError):
 				pass # it didnt exist at all
 			else:
@@ -425,7 +425,10 @@ def delete(cls, repo, path):
 
 				# write the new lines
 				if made_change:
-					open(pack_file_path, 'w').writelines(new_lines)
+					# write-binary is required, otherwise windows will
+					# open the file in text mode and change LF to CRLF !
+					open(pack_file_path, 'wb').writelines(new_lines)
+				# END write out file
 			# END open exception handling
 		# END handle deletion
 
@@ -549,7 +552,7 @@ def _iter_items(cls, repo, common_path = None):
 		# Currently we do not follow links 
 		for root, dirs, files in os.walk(join_path_native(repo.git_dir, common_path)):
 			if 'refs/' not in root: # skip non-refs subfolders
-				refs_id = [ i for i,d in enumerate(dirs) if d == 'refs' ]
+				refs_id = [ d for d in dirs if d == 'refs' ]
 				if refs_id:
 					dirs[0:] = ['refs']
 			# END prune non-refs folders
@@ -589,7 +592,7 @@ def iter_items(cls, repo, common_path = None):
 
 		:return:
 			git.SymbolicReference[], each of them is guaranteed to be a symbolic
-			ref which is not detached.
+			ref which is not detached and pointing to a valid ref
 			
 			List is lexigraphically sorted
 			The returned objects represent actual subclasses, such as Head or TagReference"""
 
@@ -47,12 +47,15 @@ def join_path(a, *p):
 	'/' instead of possibly '\' on windows."""
 	path = a
 	for b in p:
+		if len(b) == 0:
+			continue
 		if b.startswith('/'):
 			path += b[1:]
 		elif path == '' or path.endswith('/'):
 			path +=	 b
 		else:
 			path += '/' + b
+	# END for each path token to add
 	return path
 
 def to_native_path_windows(path):