Git – Unable to resolve reference ‘refs/remotes/origin/master’: reference broken

A git pull and hits the below "reference broken" error message?

Terminal

$ git pull

error: cannot lock ref 'refs/remotes/origin/master':
    unable to resolve reference 'refs/remotes/origin/master': reference broken

From bitbucket.org:xx/mkyong-tutorials
 ! [new branch]      master     -> origin/master  (unable to update local ref)  

Solution

Unsure the root cause of the "reference broken". To fix it, delete this file .git/refs/remotes/origin/master, and git fetch to retrieve it back.

Terminal

$ rm .git/refs/remotes/origin/master

$ git fetch

 From bitbucket.org:xx/mkyong-tutorials
    df0eee8..3f7af90  master     -> origin/master

$ git pull
 Already up to date.

References

5 comments on “Git – Unable to resolve reference ‘refs/remotes/origin/master’: reference broken

  1. doesn’t work to me!
    rm: cannot remove ‘.git/refs/remotes/origin/master’: Not a directory

    Reply
    1. Uhmm…
      Check your remote name and replace the /origin with it 🙂

      Reply
  2. > git fetch
    error: cannot lock ref ‘refs/remotes/origin/develop’: unable to resolve reference ‘refs/remotes/origin/develop’: reference broken
    From https://bitbucket.org/my-repo
     ! [new branch]     develop  -> origin/develop (unable to update local ref)

    > git pull
    error: cannot lock ref ‘refs/remotes/origin/develop’: unable to resolve reference ‘refs/remotes/origin/develop’: reference broken
    From https://bitbucket.org/my-repo
     ! [new branch]     develop  -> origin/develop (unable to update local ref)

    Reply

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