diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/changes/GitChangeUtils.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/changes/GitChangeUtils.java
index 6ca09c1f5d13..760b77f096c3 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/changes/GitChangeUtils.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/changes/GitChangeUtils.java
@@ -181,19 +181,13 @@ public class GitChangeUtils {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Load actual revision number with timestamp basing on revision number expression
-   *
-   * @param project        a project
-   * @param vcsRoot        a repository root
-   * @param revisionNumber a revision number expression
-   * @return a resolved revision
-   * @throws VcsException if there is a problem with running git
+   * Load actual revision number with timestamp basing on a reference: name of a branch or tag, or revision number expression.
    */
   @NotNull
-  public static GitRevisionNumber loadRevision(@NotNull Project project, @NotNull VirtualFile vcsRoot, @NonNls final String revisionNumber)
-    throws VcsException {
+  public static GitRevisionNumber resolveReference(@NotNull Project project, @NotNull VirtualFile vcsRoot,
+                                                   @NotNull String reference) throws VcsException {
     GitSimpleHandler handler = new GitSimpleHandler(project, vcsRoot, GitCommand.REV_LIST);
-    handler.addParameters("--timestamp", "--max-count=1", revisionNumber);
+    handler.addParameters("--timestamp", "--max-count=1", reference);
     handler.endOptions();
     handler.setNoSSH(true);
     handler.setSilent(true);
@@ -207,7 +201,7 @@ public class GitChangeUtils {
       String out = dh.run();
       LOG.info("Diagnostic output from 'git log -1 HEAD': [" + out + "]");
       throw new VcsException(String.format("The string '%s' does not represent a revision number. Output: [%s]\n Root: %s",
-                                           revisionNumber, output, vcsRoot));
+                                           reference, output, vcsRoot));
     }
     Date timestamp = GitUtil.parseTimestampWithNFEReport(stk.nextToken(), handler, output);
     return new GitRevisionNumber(stk.nextToken(), timestamp);
@@ -382,7 +376,7 @@ public class GitChangeUtils {
     GitRevisionNumber thisRevision = new GitRevisionNumber(revisionNumber, commitDate);
 
     if (skipDiffsForMerge || (parents.length <= 1)) {
-      final GitRevisionNumber parentRevision = parents.length > 0 ? loadRevision(project, root, parents[0]) : null;
+      final GitRevisionNumber parentRevision = parents.length > 0 ? resolveReference(project, root, parents[0]) : null;
       // This is the first or normal commit with the single parent.
       // Just parse changes in this commit as returned by the show command.
       parseChanges(project, root, thisRevision, local ? null : parentRevision, s, changes, null);
@@ -393,7 +387,7 @@ public class GitChangeUtils {
       // If no changes are found (why to merge then?). Empty changelist is reported.
 
       for (String parent : parents) {
-        final GitRevisionNumber parentRevision = loadRevision(project, root, parent);
+        final GitRevisionNumber parentRevision = resolveReference(project, root, parent);
         GitSimpleHandler diffHandler = new GitSimpleHandler(project, root, GitCommand.DIFF);
         diffHandler.setNoSSH(true);
         diffHandler.setSilent(true);
@@ -424,18 +418,18 @@ public class GitChangeUtils {
     GitRevisionNumber oldRev;
     if (newRevision == null) { // current revision at the right
       range = oldRevision + "..";
-      oldRev = loadRevision(project, root, oldRevision);
+      oldRev = resolveReference(project, root, oldRevision);
       newRev = null;
     }
     else if (oldRevision == null) { // current revision at the left
       range = ".." + newRevision;
       oldRev = null;
-      newRev = loadRevision(project, root, newRevision);
+      newRev = resolveReference(project, root, newRevision);
     }
     else {
       range = oldRevision + ".." + newRevision;
-      oldRev = loadRevision(project, root, oldRevision);
-      newRev = loadRevision(project, root, newRevision);
+      oldRev = resolveReference(project, root, oldRevision);
+      newRev = resolveReference(project, root, newRevision);
     }
     String output = getDiffOutput(project, root, range, dirtyPaths);
 
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitChangeProvider.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitChangeProvider.java
index b62994ca3a43..06585d96644b 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitChangeProvider.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitChangeProvider.java
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ public class GitChangeProvider implements ChangeProvider {
           if ((myAddGate.getStatus(vf) == null) && myFileDocumentManager.isFileModified(vf)) {
             final VirtualFile root = myVcsManager.getVcsRootFor(vf);
             if (root != null) {
-              final GitRevisionNumber beforeRevisionNumber = GitChangeUtils.loadRevision(myProject, root, "HEAD");
+              final GitRevisionNumber beforeRevisionNumber = GitChangeUtils.resolveReference(myProject, root, "HEAD");
               builder.processChange(new Change(GitContentRevision.createRevision(vf, beforeRevisionNumber, myProject),
                                                GitContentRevision.createRevision(vf, null, myProject), FileStatus.MODIFIED), gitKey);
             }
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitNewChangesCollector.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitNewChangesCollector.java
index 63d15c835ec9..b231ec1c14f2 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitNewChangesCollector.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitNewChangesCollector.java
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ class GitNewChangesCollector extends GitChangesCollector {
   private VcsRevisionNumber getHeadFromGit() throws VcsException {
     VcsRevisionNumber nativeHead = VcsRevisionNumber.NULL;
     try {
-      nativeHead = GitChangeUtils.loadRevision(myProject, myVcsRoot, "HEAD");
+      nativeHead = GitChangeUtils.resolveReference(myProject, myVcsRoot, "HEAD");
     }
     catch (VcsException e) {
       if (!GitChangeUtils.isHeadMissing(e)) { // fresh repository
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitOldChangesCollector.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitOldChangesCollector.java
index 8fbf943bb111..9e9354e60399 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitOldChangesCollector.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/status/GitOldChangesCollector.java
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ class GitOldChangesCollector extends GitChangesCollector {
     }
     try {
       String output = GitChangeUtils.getDiffOutput(myProject, myVcsRoot, "HEAD", dirtyPaths);
-      GitChangeUtils.parseChanges(myProject, myVcsRoot, null, GitChangeUtils.loadRevision(myProject, myVcsRoot, "HEAD"), output, myChanges,
+      GitChangeUtils.parseChanges(myProject, myVcsRoot, null, GitChangeUtils.resolveReference(myProject, myVcsRoot, "HEAD"), output, myChanges,
                                   myUnmergedNames);
     }
     catch (VcsException ex) {