diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/branch/GitBranchPair.kt b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/branch/GitBranchPair.kt
index 5614546420e6..84db24c57d6e 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/branch/GitBranchPair.kt
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/branch/GitBranchPair.kt
@@ -21,4 +21,4 @@ import git4idea.GitRemoteBranch
 /**
  * Holder for Git branch and the branch it is "connected" with. It is tracked branch or so called "matched" branch.
  */
-data class GitBranchPair(val source: GitLocalBranch, val target: GitRemoteBranch?)
+data class GitBranchPair(val source: GitLocalBranch, val target: GitRemoteBranch)
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitMergeUpdater.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitMergeUpdater.java
index 2bc848837dd1..eb6ebb8ac501 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitMergeUpdater.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitMergeUpdater.java
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.util.*;
 
-import static com.intellij.util.ObjectUtils.assertNotNull;
 import static java.util.Arrays.asList;
 
 /**
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ public class GitMergeUpdater extends GitUpdater {
     String originalText = myProgressIndicator.getText();
     myProgressIndicator.setText("Merging" + GitUtil.mention(myRepository) + "...");
     try {
-      GitCommandResult result = myGit.merge(myRepository, assertNotNull(myBranchPair.getTarget()).getName(),
+      GitCommandResult result = myGit.merge(myRepository, myBranchPair.getTarget().getName(),
                                             asList("--no-stat", "-v"), mergeLineListener, untrackedFilesDetector,
                                             GitStandardProgressAnalyzer.createListener(myProgressIndicator));
       myProgressIndicator.setText(originalText);
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitRebaseUpdater.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitRebaseUpdater.java
index dbee1710fc8b..b7f4b07a9ddb 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitRebaseUpdater.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitRebaseUpdater.java
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.vcs.changes.ChangeListManager;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vcs.impl.LocalChangesUnderRoots;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vcs.update.UpdatedFiles;
 import com.intellij.util.containers.ContainerUtil;
-import git4idea.GitBranch;
 import git4idea.GitUtil;
 import git4idea.branch.GitBranchPair;
 import git4idea.commands.Git;
@@ -74,10 +73,7 @@ public class GitRebaseUpdater extends GitUpdater {
 
   @NotNull
   private String getRemoteBranchToMerge() {
-    GitBranch dest = myBranchPair.getTarget();
-    LOG.assertTrue(dest != null, String.format("Destination branch is null for source branch %s in %s",
-                                               myBranchPair.getSource().getName(), myRoot));
-    return dest.getName();
+    return myBranchPair.getTarget().getName();
   }
 
   public void cancel() {
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitUpdateProcess.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitUpdateProcess.java
index 0c7e0765be18..a03ea2a20e28 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitUpdateProcess.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitUpdateProcess.java
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 import java.util.*;
 
 import static com.intellij.dvcs.DvcsUtil.getShortRepositoryName;
-import static com.intellij.util.ObjectUtils.assertNotNull;
 import static git4idea.GitUtil.getRootsFromRepositories;
 import static git4idea.GitUtil.mention;
 import static git4idea.fetch.GitFetchSupport.fetchSupport;
@@ -266,8 +265,9 @@ public class GitUpdateProcess {
     return ContainerUtil.mapNotNull(updaters.keySet(), repo -> {
       GitUpdater updater = updaters.get(repo);
       if (updater instanceof GitRebaseUpdater) {
-        String currentRef = ((GitRebaseUpdater)updater).getSourceAndTarget().getSource().getFullName();
-        String baseRef = assertNotNull(((GitRebaseUpdater)updater).getSourceAndTarget().getTarget()).getFullName();
+        GitBranchPair sourceAndTarget = ((GitRebaseUpdater)updater).getSourceAndTarget();
+        String currentRef = sourceAndTarget.getSource().getFullName();
+        String baseRef = sourceAndTarget.getTarget().getFullName();
         return GitRebaseOverMergeProblem.hasProblem(myProject, repo.getRoot(), baseRef, currentRef) ? repo : null;
       }
       return null;
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitUpdater.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitUpdater.java
index f2dc542d64aa..e165aa5ca208 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitUpdater.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/update/GitUpdater.java
@@ -166,9 +166,7 @@ public abstract class GitUpdater {
    * @return true if update is needed, false otherwise.
    */
   public boolean isUpdateNeeded(@NotNull GitBranchPair branchPair) throws VcsException {
-    GitBranch dest = branchPair.getTarget();
-    assert dest != null;
-    String remoteBranch = dest.getName();
+    String remoteBranch = branchPair.getTarget().getName();
     if (!hasRemoteChanges(remoteBranch)) {
       LOG.info("isUpdateNeeded: No remote changes, update is not needed");
       return false;