diff --git a/PBRefController.h b/PBRefController.h
index 4dd5e7f..78f623b 100644
--- a/PBRefController.h
+++ b/PBRefController.h
@@ -40,9 +40,13 @@
 - (void) selectCurrentBranch;
 - (void) updateBranchMenu;
 
-- (void) pullImpl:(NSString *)refName;
-- (void) pushImpl:(NSString *)refName;
-- (void) rebaseImpl:(NSString *)refName;
-
+- (BOOL) pullImpl:(NSString *)refName;
+- (BOOL) pushImpl:(NSString *)refName;
+- (BOOL) rebaseImpl:(NSString *)refName;
+- (BOOL) fetchImpl:(NSString *)refName;
 
 @end
+
+@interface NSString (PBRefSpecAdditions)
+- (NSString *) refForSpec;
+@end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/PBRefController.m b/PBRefController.m
index 149a5f2..db8b629 100644
--- a/PBRefController.m
+++ b/PBRefController.m
@@ -101,61 +101,73 @@
 	return [PBRefMenuItem defaultMenuItemsForRef:ref commit:commit target:self];
 }
 
-- (void) pushImpl:(NSString *)refName
+- (BOOL) pushImpl:(NSString *)refName
 {
 	int ret = 1;
+    BOOL success = NO;
 	NSString *remote = [[historyController.repository config] valueForKeyPath:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"branch.%@.remote", refName]];
 	NSString *rval = [historyController.repository outputInWorkdirForArguments:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"push", remote, refName, nil] retValue: &ret];
 	if (ret) {
 		NSString *info = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"There was an error pushing the branch to the remote repository.\n\n%d\n%@", ret, rval];
 		[[historyController.repository windowController] showMessageSheet:@"Pushing branch failed" infoText:info];
-		return;
+		return success;
 	}
 	[historyController.repository reloadRefs];
 	[commitController rearrangeObjects];
+    success = YES;
+    return success;
 }
 
-- (void) pullImpl:(NSString *)refName
+- (BOOL) pullImpl:(NSString *)refName
 {
 	int ret = 1;
+    BOOL success = NO;
 	NSString *remote = [[historyController.repository config] valueForKeyPath:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"branch.%@.remote", refName]];
 	NSString *rval = [historyController.repository outputInWorkdirForArguments:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"pull", remote, refName, nil] retValue: &ret];
 	if (ret) {
 		NSString *info = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"There was an error pulling from the remote repository.\n\n%d\n%@", ret, rval];
 		[[historyController.repository windowController] showMessageSheet:@"Pulling from remote failed" infoText:info];
-		return;
+		return success;
 	}
 	[historyController.repository reloadRefs];
 	[commitController rearrangeObjects];
+    success = YES;
+    return success;
 }
 
-- (void) rebaseImpl:(NSString *)refName
+- (BOOL) rebaseImpl:(NSString *)refName
 {
 	int ret = 1;
-	NSString *remote = [[historyController.repository config] valueForKeyPath:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"branch.%@.remote", refName]];
-	NSString *rval = [historyController.repository outputInWorkdirForArguments:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"pull", @"--rebase", remote, refName, nil] retValue: &ret];
+    BOOL success = NO;
+	NSString *remote = [[[historyController repository] config] valueForKeyPath:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"branch.%@.remote", refName]];
+	NSString *rval = [[historyController repository] outputInWorkdirForArguments:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"pull", @"--rebase", remote, refName, nil] retValue: &ret];
 	if (ret) {
 		NSString *info = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"There was an error rebasing from the remote repository.\n\n%d\n%@", ret, rval];
-		[[historyController.repository windowController] showMessageSheet:@"Rebasing from remote failed" infoText:info];
-		return;
+		[[[historyController repository] windowController] showMessageSheet:@"Rebasing from remote failed" infoText:info];
+		return success;
 	}
-	[historyController.repository reloadRefs];
+	[[historyController repository] reloadRefs];
 	[commitController rearrangeObjects];
+    success = YES;
+    return success;
 }
 
-- (void) fetchImpl:(NSString *)refName
+- (BOOL) fetchImpl:(NSString *)refName
 {
 	int ret = 1;
+    BOOL success = NO;
 	NSString *remote = nil;
 	if(refName != nil) remote = [[historyController.repository config] valueForKeyPath:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"branch.%@.remote", refName]];
 	NSString *rval = [historyController.repository outputInWorkdirForArguments:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"fetch", remote, refName, nil] retValue: &ret];
 	if (ret) {
 		NSString *info = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"There was an error fetching from the remote repository.\n\n%d\n%@", ret, rval];
-		[[historyController.repository windowController] showMessageSheet:@"Rebasing from remote failed" infoText:info];
-		return;
+		[[historyController.repository windowController] showMessageSheet:@"Fetching from remote failed" infoText:info];
+		return success;
 	}
 	[historyController.repository reloadRefs];
 	[commitController rearrangeObjects];
+    success = YES;
+    return success;
 }
 
 # pragma mark Tableview delegate methods
@@ -253,8 +265,9 @@
 -(void)rebaseButton:(id)sender
 {
 	[sender setEnabled:NO];
-	NSString *refName =[historyController.repository.currentBranch simpleRef];
-	[self rebaseImpl:refName];
+	NSString *refName = [[historyController.repository.currentBranch simpleRef] refForSpec];
+    if (refName) 
+        [self rebaseImpl:refName];
 	[sender setEnabled:YES];
 //	NSLog([NSString stringWithFormat:@"Rebase hit for %@!", refName]);
 }
@@ -262,8 +275,9 @@
 -(void)pushButton:(id)sender
 {
 	[sender setEnabled:NO];
-	NSString *refName =[historyController.repository.currentBranch simpleRef];
-	[self pushImpl:refName];
+	NSString *refName = [[historyController.repository.currentBranch simpleRef] refForSpec];
+    if (refName)
+        [self pushImpl:refName];
 	[sender setEnabled:YES];
 //	NSLog([NSString stringWithFormat:@"Push hit for %@!", refName]);
 }
@@ -271,8 +285,9 @@
 -(void)pullButton:(id)sender
 {
 	[sender setEnabled:NO];
-	NSString *refName =[historyController.repository.currentBranch simpleRef];
-	[self pullImpl:refName];
+	NSString *refName = [[historyController.repository.currentBranch simpleRef] refForSpec];
+    if (refName) 
+        [self pullImpl:refName];
 	[sender setEnabled:YES];
     //	NSLog([NSString stringWithFormat:@"Pull hit for %@!", refName]);
 }
@@ -280,8 +295,9 @@
 -(void)fetchButton:(id)sender
 {
 	[sender setEnabled:NO];
-	NSString *refName =[historyController.repository.currentBranch simpleRef];
-	[self fetchImpl:refName];
+	NSString *refName = [[historyController.repository.currentBranch simpleRef] refForSpec];
+    if (refName)
+        [self fetchImpl:refName];
 	[sender setEnabled:YES];
 //	NSLog([NSString stringWithFormat:@"Fetch hit for %@!", refName]);
 }
@@ -435,3 +451,17 @@
 }
 
 @end
+
+@implementation NSString (PBRefSpecAdditions)
+
+/* convenience method to get the last part of a simple refspec like refs/heads/master -> master*/
+- (NSString *) refForSpec {
+    if ([self hasPrefix:@"refs/"]) {
+        NSArray * parts = [self componentsSeparatedByString:@"/"];
+        return [parts lastObject];
+    }
+    return self;
+}
+
+@end
+
diff --git a/PBRefMenuItem.h b/PBRefMenuItem.h
index a2eb80f..5d00f5d 100644
--- a/PBRefMenuItem.h
+++ b/PBRefMenuItem.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 @property (retain) PBGitCommit *commit;
 @property (retain) PBGitRef *ref;
 
-+ (PBRefMenuItem *)addRemoteMethod:(bool)isRemote title:(NSString *)title action:(SEL)selector;
++ (PBRefMenuItem *)addRemoteMethod:(BOOL)isRemote title:(NSString *)title action:(SEL)selector;
 + (NSArray *)defaultMenuItemsForRef:(PBGitRef *)ref commit:(PBGitCommit *)commit target:(id)target;
 
 @end
diff --git a/PBRefMenuItem.m b/PBRefMenuItem.m
index 65abdb5..b8f1e58 100644
--- a/PBRefMenuItem.m
+++ b/PBRefMenuItem.m
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@
 @implementation PBRefMenuItem
 @synthesize ref, commit;
 
-+ (PBRefMenuItem *)addRemoteMethod:(bool)isRemote title:(NSString *)title action:(SEL)selector
++ (PBRefMenuItem *)addRemoteMethod:(BOOL)hasRemote title:(NSString *)title action:(SEL)selector
 {
 	PBRefMenuItem *item = [[PBRefMenuItem alloc] initWithTitle:title action:selector keyEquivalent:@""];
-	[item setEnabled:isRemote];
+	[item setEnabled:hasRemote];
 	return item;
 }
 
@@ -29,12 +29,12 @@
 		type = @"branch";
 
 	NSString *remote = [[[commit repository] config] valueForKeyPath:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"branch.%@.remote", [ref shortName]]];
-	bool has_remote = (remote != NULL) ? YES : NO;
+	BOOL hasRemote = (remote ? YES : NO);
 
 	if ([type isEqualToString:@"branch"]) {
-		[array addObject:[self addRemoteMethod:has_remote title:@"Push branch to remote" action:@selector(pushRef:)]];
-		[array addObject:[self addRemoteMethod:has_remote title:@"Pull down latest" action:@selector(pullRef:)]];
-		[array addObject:[self addRemoteMethod:has_remote title:@"Rebase local changes with latest" action:@selector(rebaseRef:)]];
+		[array addObject:[self addRemoteMethod:hasRemote title:@"Push branch to remote" action:@selector(pushRef:)]];
+		[array addObject:[self addRemoteMethod:hasRemote title:@"Pull down latest" action:@selector(pullRef:)]];
+		[array addObject:[self addRemoteMethod:hasRemote title:@"Rebase local changes with latest" action:@selector(rebaseRef:)]];
 	}
 
 	if ([type isEqualToString:@"branch"])