diff --git a/PBGitCommitController.m b/PBGitCommitController.m
index 299821b..88f62c9 100644
--- a/PBGitCommitController.m
+++ b/PBGitCommitController.m
@@ -78,14 +78,9 @@
 {
 	NSString *parent = amend ? @"HEAD^" : @"HEAD";
 
-	NSString *a = [repository parseReference:@"HEAD^"];
-
-	// TODO: parseReference should exit nil if it errors out. For
-	// now, compare to "HEAD"
-	if ([a isEqualToString:parent]) {
+	if (![repository parseReference:parent])
 		// We don't have a head ref. Return the empty tree.
 		return @"4b825dc642cb6eb9a060e54bf8d69288fbee4904";
-	}
 
 	return parent;
 }
diff --git a/PBGitRepository.m b/PBGitRepository.m
index 51a89ac..23ac75d 100644
--- a/PBGitRepository.m
+++ b/PBGitRepository.m
@@ -368,9 +368,14 @@ NSString* PBGitRepositoryErrorDomain = @"GitXErrorDomain";
 							   retValue: ret];
 }
 
-- (NSString*) parseReference:(NSString *)reference
+- (NSString *)parseReference:(NSString *)reference
 {
-	return [self outputForArguments:[NSArray arrayWithObjects: @"rev-parse", reference, nil]];
+	int ret = 1;
+	NSString *ref = [self outputForArguments:[NSArray arrayWithObjects: @"rev-parse", @"--verify", reference, nil] retValue: &ret];
+	if (ret)
+		return nil;
+
+	return ref;
 }
 
 - (NSString*) parseSymbolicReference:(NSString*) reference