diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java
index 320d9bc71709..b78c401436de 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java
@@ -419,9 +419,11 @@ public class GitVcs extends AbstractVcs<CommittedChangeList> {
     final String executable = myAppSettings.getPathToGit();
     try {
       myVersion = GitVersion.identifyVersion(executable);
-      if (!myVersion.isSupported() && !myProject.isDefault()) {
+      if (! myVersion.isSupported()) {
         String message = GitBundle.message("vcs.unsupported.version", myVersion, GitVersion.MIN);
-        showMessage(message, ConsoleViewContentType.SYSTEM_OUTPUT.getAttributes());
+        if (! myProject.isDefault()) {
+          showMessage(message, ConsoleViewContentType.SYSTEM_OUTPUT.getAttributes());
+        }
         VcsBalloonProblemNotifier.showOverVersionControlView(myProject, message, MessageType.ERROR);
       }
     } catch (Exception e) {
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/browser/LowLevelAccessImpl.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/browser/LowLevelAccessImpl.java
index 45e11a63095a..f774ff6a8bd0 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/browser/LowLevelAccessImpl.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/browser/LowLevelAccessImpl.java
@@ -104,13 +104,14 @@ public class LowLevelAccessImpl implements LowLevelAccess {
   // uses cached version
   public CachedRefs getRefs() throws VcsException {
     final CachedRefs refs = new CachedRefs();
-    GitRepository repository = GitUtil.getRepositoryManager(myProject).getRepositoryForRoot(myRoot);
+    GitRepository repository = myProject == null || myProject.isDefault() ? null : GitUtil.getRepositoryManager(myProject).getRepositoryForRoot(myRoot);
     if (repository == null) {
       final File child = new File(myRoot.getPath(), GitUtil.DOT_GIT);
       if (! child.exists()) {
         throw new VcsException("No git repository in " + myRoot.getPath());
       }
       repository = GitRepositoryImpl.getLightInstance(myRoot, myProject, myProject);
+      repository.update(GitRepository.TrackedTopic.BRANCHES);
       repository.getBranches();
     }
     GitBranchesCollection branches = repository.getBranches();
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/wholeTree/BigTableTableModel.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/wholeTree/BigTableTableModel.java
index 49d53fda73ae..77725162a697 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/wholeTree/BigTableTableModel.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/wholeTree/BigTableTableModel.java
@@ -444,7 +444,9 @@ public class BigTableTableModel extends AbstractTableModel {
   }
   
   public int getLastForRoot(final VirtualFile root) {
-    return myRepoIdxMap.get(root).last();
+    final TreeSet<Integer> integers = myRepoIdxMap.get(root);
+    if (integers.isEmpty()) return -1;
+    return integers.last();
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/wholeTree/SelectRepositoryAndShowLogAction.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/wholeTree/SelectRepositoryAndShowLogAction.java
index f597644cf9cc..d2f7d96a22b2 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/wholeTree/SelectRepositoryAndShowLogAction.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/history/wholeTree/SelectRepositoryAndShowLogAction.java
@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@ public class SelectRepositoryAndShowLogAction extends AnAction {
 
   @Override
   public void actionPerformed(AnActionEvent e) {
-    final Project project = PlatformDataKeys.PROJECT.getData(e.getDataContext());
+    Project project = PlatformDataKeys.PROJECT.getData(e.getDataContext());
+    project = project == null ? ProjectManager.getInstance().getDefaultProject() : project;
+    final Project finalProject = project;
+
     final FileChooserDescriptor descriptor = new FileChooserDescriptor(false, true, false, true, false, true);
     final VirtualFile[] virtualFiles = FileChooser.chooseFiles(descriptor, project, null);
     if (virtualFiles.length == 0) return;
@@ -106,13 +109,12 @@ public class SelectRepositoryAndShowLogAction extends AnAction {
       }
 
       final ToolWindow window = ToolWindowManager.getInstance(project).getToolWindow(ChangesViewContentManager.TOOLWINDOW_ID);
-      final Project finalProject = project;
 
       final Runnable showContent = new Runnable() {
         @Override
         public void run() {
           ContentManager cm = window.getContentManager();
-          if (checkForProjectScope(cm, project, correctRoots)) return;
+          if (checkForProjectScope(cm, finalProject, correctRoots)) return;
 
           int cnt = 0;
           Content[] contents = cm.getContents();
@@ -123,7 +125,7 @@ public class SelectRepositoryAndShowLogAction extends AnAction {
               List<VirtualFile> roots = ((MyContentComponent)component).getRoots();
               if (Comparing.equal(roots, correctRoots)) {
                 cm.setSelectedContent(content);
-                alreadyOpened(project);
+                alreadyOpened(finalProject);
                 return;
               }
             }
@@ -252,6 +254,10 @@ public class SelectRepositoryAndShowLogAction extends AnAction {
       GitVcs vcs = GitVcs.getInstance(myProject);
       if (vcs == null) { return; }
       myVersion = vcs.getVersion();
+      if (myVersion.isNull()) {
+        vcs.checkVersion();
+        myVersion = vcs.getVersion();
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/repo/GitRepositoryImpl.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/repo/GitRepositoryImpl.java
index 6c3d521b9fa1..7dc2e815286e 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/repo/GitRepositoryImpl.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/repo/GitRepositoryImpl.java
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ public class GitRepositoryImpl implements GitRepository, Disposable {
    * If you need to have an instance of GitRepository for a repository outside the project, use
    * {@link #getLightInstance(com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile, com.intellij.openapi.project.Project, com.intellij.openapi.Disposable)}.
    */
-  private GitRepositoryImpl(@NotNull VirtualFile rootDir, @NotNull Project project, @NotNull Disposable parentDisposable) {
+  private GitRepositoryImpl(@NotNull VirtualFile rootDir, @NotNull Project project, @NotNull Disposable parentDisposable,
+                            final boolean light) {
     myRootDir = rootDir;
     myProject = project;
     Disposer.register(parentDisposable, this);
@@ -71,12 +72,16 @@ public class GitRepositoryImpl implements GitRepository, Disposable {
 
     myReader = new GitRepositoryReader(VfsUtil.virtualToIoFile(myGitDir));
 
-    myUntrackedFilesHolder = new GitUntrackedFilesHolder(this);
-    Disposer.register(this, myUntrackedFilesHolder);
-
     myMessageBus = project.getMessageBus();
     myNotifier = new QueueProcessor<Object>(new NotificationConsumer(myProject, myMessageBus), myProject.getDisposed());
-    update(TrackedTopic.ALL);
+    if (! light) {
+      myUntrackedFilesHolder = new GitUntrackedFilesHolder(this);
+      Disposer.register(this, myUntrackedFilesHolder);
+
+      update(TrackedTopic.ALL);
+    } else {
+      myUntrackedFilesHolder = null;
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -86,7 +91,7 @@ public class GitRepositoryImpl implements GitRepository, Disposable {
    */
   @NotNull
   public static GitRepository getLightInstance(@NotNull VirtualFile root, @NotNull Project project, @NotNull Disposable parentDisposable) {
-    return new GitRepositoryImpl(root, project, parentDisposable);
+    return new GitRepositoryImpl(root, project, parentDisposable, true);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -94,7 +99,7 @@ public class GitRepositoryImpl implements GitRepository, Disposable {
    * This is used for repositories registered in project, and should be optained via {@link GitRepositoryManager}.
    */
   public static GitRepository getFullInstance(@NotNull VirtualFile root, @NotNull Project project, @NotNull Disposable parentDisposable) {
-    GitRepositoryImpl repository = new GitRepositoryImpl(root, project, parentDisposable);
+    GitRepositoryImpl repository = new GitRepositoryImpl(root, project, parentDisposable, false);
     repository.myUntrackedFilesHolder.setupVfsListener(project);
     repository.setupUpdater();
     return repository;