diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index 5ecebc9..3b97a32 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from dotenv import load_dotenv
 
 from git.repository import get_bare_repos
 from git.commit import get_commits, get_commit
-from git.ref import get_refs
+from git.reference import get_references
 from git.tree import get_tree_items
 from git.blob import get_blob
 from git.misc import get_version, validate_repo_name, validate_ref, validate_ref_as_commit, sanitize_path
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def repo_detail(repo_name):
     if not validate_ref_as_commit(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}", ref):
         abort(400, "Invalid ref")
     commits = get_commits(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}", ref=ref, max_count=10)
-    refs = get_refs(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
+    refs = get_references(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
     readme = None
     for filename in ['README.md', 'README']:
         try:
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def repo_commits(repo_name):
     ref = request.args.get('ref', 'HEAD').strip()
     if not validate_ref_as_commit(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}", ref):
         abort(400, "Invalid ref")
-    refs = get_refs(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
+    refs = get_references(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
     page = int(request.args.get('page', 0))
     # maybe pages are not the wisest way to do this?
     per_page = 50
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ def commit_patch(repo_name, commit_id):
 def repo_refs(repo_name):
     if not validate_repo_name(repo_name):
         abort(404)
-    refs = get_refs(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
+    refs = get_references(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
     return render_template("refs.html", repo_name=repo_name, refs=refs)
 
 @app.route("/<repo_name>/tree", defaults={'path': ''})
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ def repo_tree_path(repo_name, path):
         path = sanitize_path(path)
     except ValueError:
         abort(400, "Invalid path")
-    refs = get_refs(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
+    refs = get_references(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
     tree_items = get_tree_items(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}", ref, path)
     return render_template("tree.html", repo_name=repo_name, ref=ref, path=path, tree_items=tree_items, refs=refs)
 
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ def repo_blob_path(repo_name, path):
         path = sanitize_path(path)
     except ValueError:
         abort(400, "Invalid path")
-    refs = get_refs(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
+    refs = get_references(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
     blob = get_blob(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}", ref, path)
     return render_template("blob.html", repo_name=repo_name, ref=ref, path=path, blob=blob, refs=refs)
 
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ def repo_blame_path(repo_name, path):
         path = sanitize_path(path)
     except ValueError:
         abort(400, "Invalid path")
-    refs = get_refs(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
+    refs = get_references(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
     
     # if ajax (for loading)
     if request.headers.get('X-Requested-With') == 'XMLHttpRequest':
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ def repo_blame_path(repo_name, path):
 def repo_diff(repo_name):
     if not validate_repo_name(repo_name):
         abort(404)
-    refs = get_refs(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
+    refs = get_references(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}")
     id1 = request.args.get('id1')
     id2 = request.args.get('id2')
     if id1 and not validate_ref_as_commit(f"{repo_path}/{repo_name}", id1):
diff --git a/git/ref.py b/git/ref.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 0eae983..0000000
--- a/git/ref.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-import pygit2 as git
-
-# retrieves all refs (branches, tags) for given repo path
-# TODO: handle symbolic refs and situation when HEAD is unborn or pointing to nothing
-def get_refs(path):
-    repo = git.Repository(path)
-    refs = []
-    # add head ref manually
-    head_ref = repo.head
-    refs.append({
-        'name': "HEAD",
-        'shorthand': "HEAD",
-        'target': str(head_ref.target)
-    })
-    
-    for ref_name in repo.listall_references():
-        ref = repo.lookup_reference(ref_name)
-        refs.append({
-            'name': ref.name,
-            'shorthand': ref.shorthand,
-            # TODO: type, branch or tag
-            'target': str(ref.target)
-        })
-    return refs
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/git/reference.py b/git/reference.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c54d0fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/git/reference.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import pygit2 as git
+
+
+def get_references(path):
+    repo = git.Repository(path)
+    refs = []
+
+    for ref_name in repo.listall_references():
+        try:
+            ref = repo.lookup_reference(ref_name).resolve()
+        except git.GitError:
+            continue
+
+        refs.append(
+            {"name": ref.name, "shorthand": ref.shorthand, "target": str(ref.target)}
+        )
+    return refs