diff --git a/spec/remote.spec.js b/spec/remote.spec.js
index 962b999d..a68f71c0 100644
--- a/spec/remote.spec.js
+++ b/spec/remote.spec.js
@@ -177,5 +177,12 @@ describe('Git Remotes', function() {
     );
   });
 
+  it('will prune the origin tree when deleting branches', function() {
+    expectTreeAsync(
+      'git checkout -b foo; git commit; git clone; git push :foo',
+      '{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C1","id":"master","remoteTrackingBranchID":"o/master"},"foo":{"target":"C2","id":"foo","remoteTrackingBranchID":null},"o/master":{"target":"C1","id":"o/master","remoteTrackingBranchID":null}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"},"C2":{"parents":["C1"],"id":"C2"}},"HEAD":{"target":"foo","id":"HEAD"},"originTree":{"branches":{"master":{"target":"C1","id":"master","remoteTrackingBranchID":null}},"commits":{"C0":{"parents":[],"id":"C0","rootCommit":true},"C1":{"parents":["C0"],"id":"C1"}},"HEAD":{"target":"master","id":"HEAD"}}}'
+    );
+  });
+
 });
 
diff --git a/src/js/git/index.js b/src/js/git/index.js
index fbaad895..a91925c9 100644
--- a/src/js/git/index.js
+++ b/src/js/git/index.js
@@ -1011,6 +1011,7 @@ GitEngine.prototype.pushDeleteRemoteBranch = function(
   }, this);
 
   // animation needs to be triggered on origin directly
+  this.origin.pruneTree();
   this.origin.externalRefresh();
 };
 
@@ -1562,7 +1563,9 @@ GitEngine.prototype.pruneTree = function() {
     // the switch sync
     return;
   }
-  this.command.addWarning(intl.str('hg-prune-tree'));
+  if (this.command) {
+    this.command.addWarning(intl.str('hg-prune-tree'));
+  }
 
   _.each(toDelete, function(commit) {
     commit.removeFromParents();
@@ -2241,6 +2244,11 @@ GitEngine.prototype.deleteBranch = function(branch) {
   this.branchCollection.remove(branch);
   this.refs[branch.get('id')] = undefined;
   delete this.refs[branch.get('id')];
+  // also in some cases external engines call our delete, so
+  // verify integrity of HEAD here
+  if (this.HEAD.get('target') === branch) {
+    this.HEAD.set('target', this.refs['master']);
+  }
 
   if (branch.get('visBranch')) {
     branch.get('visBranch').remove();