diff --git a/klaus/repo.py b/klaus/repo.py
index 52a01d64..2f240ce9 100644
--- a/klaus/repo.py
+++ b/klaus/repo.py
@@ -108,7 +108,10 @@ def _get_commit_time(ref_id):
         if len(all_ids) > max_refs:
             all_ids = sorted(all_ids)[:max_refs]
         # Always add HEAD.
-        all_ids.append(self.dulwich_repo.refs[b"HEAD"])
+        try:
+            all_ids.append(self.dulwich_repo.refs[b"HEAD"])
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
 
         commit_times = filter(None, map(_get_commit_time_cached, all_ids))
         try:
@@ -179,14 +182,7 @@ def get_default_branch(self):
                 return candidate
             except InaccessibleRef:
                 pass
-        for name in self.get_branch_names():
-            try:
-                self.get_commit(name)
-                return name
-            except InaccessibleRef:
-                pass
-        else:
-            return None
+        return None
 
     @synchronized
     def get_ref_names_ordered_by_last_commit(self, prefix, exclude=None):
diff --git a/klaus/views.py b/klaus/views.py
index 8ab98f0f..acacfb65 100644
--- a/klaus/views.py
+++ b/klaus/views.py
@@ -110,7 +110,11 @@ def _get_repo_and_rev(repo, namespace=None, rev=None, path=None):
     if rev is None:
         rev = repo.get_default_branch()
         if rev is None:
-            raise NotFound("Empty repository")
+            rev = "HEAD"
+            try:
+                repo.get_commit("HEAD")
+            except KeyError:
+                raise NotFound("No commits yet")
 
     i = len(rev)
     while i > 0: