diff --git a/‎lib/repository.js‎
Lines changed: 14 additions & 9 deletions b/‎lib/repository.js‎
Lines changed: 14 additions & 9 deletions
diff --git a/‎test/tests/checkout.js‎
Lines changed: 9 additions & 7 deletions b/‎test/tests/checkout.js‎
Lines changed: 9 additions & 7 deletions
@@ -804,24 +804,29 @@ Repository.prototype.getStatusExt = function(opts) {
  */
 Repository.prototype.checkoutBranch = function(branch, opts) {
   var repo = this;
-
+  var reference;
   opts = opts || {};
-  opts.checkoutStrategy = opts.checkoutStrategy || Checkout.STRATEGY.SAFE;
-
+  opts.checkoutStrategy = opts.checkoutStrategy ||
+    Checkout.STRATEGY.SAFE_CREATE;
   return repo.getReference(branch)
   .then(function(ref) {
     if (!ref.isBranch()) {
       return false;
     }
-
-    var name = ref.name();
-
+    reference = ref;
+    return repo.getBranchCommit(ref.name());
+  })
+  .then(function(commit) {
+    return commit.getTree();
+  })
+  .then(function(tree) {
+    return Checkout.tree(repo, tree, opts);
+  })
+  .then(function() {
+    var name = reference.name();
     return repo.setHead(name,
       repo.defaultSignature(),
       "Switch HEAD to " + name);
-  })
-  .then(function() {
-    return Checkout.head(repo, opts);
   });
 };
 
 
@@ -83,21 +83,23 @@ describe("Checkout", function() {
     });
   });
 
-  it("can checkout a branch", function() {
+  it.only("can checkout a branch", function() {
     var test = this;
 
-    return test.repository.checkoutBranch(checkoutBranchName, {
-      checkoutStrategy: Checkout.STRATEGY.FORCE
-    })
+    return test.repository.checkoutBranch(checkoutBranchName)
     .then(function() {
       var packageContent = fse.readFileSync(packageJsonPath, "utf-8");
 
       assert.ok(!~packageContent.indexOf("\"ejs\": \"~1.0.0\","));
     })
     .then(function() {
-      return test.repository.checkoutBranch("master", {
-        checkoutStrategy: Checkout.STRATEGY.FORCE
-      });
+      return test.repository.getStatus();
+    })
+    .then(function(statuses) {
+      assert.equal(statuses.length, 0);
+    })
+    .then(function() {
+      return test.repository.checkoutBranch("master");
     })
     .then(function() {
       var packageContent = fse.readFileSync(packageJsonPath, "utf-8");