diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_loader.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_loader.go
index f138adfaf..ab13e6523 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_loader.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_loader.go
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func (self *CommitLoader) GetCommits(opts GetCommitsOptions) ([]*models.Commit,
 	}
 
 	if ancestor != "" {
-		commits = self.setCommitMergedStatuses(ancestor, commits)
+		commits = setCommitMergedStatuses(ancestor, commits)
 	}
 
 	return commits, nil
@@ -492,10 +492,11 @@ func (self *CommitLoader) commitFromPatch(content string) *models.Commit {
 	}
 }
 
-func (self *CommitLoader) setCommitMergedStatuses(ancestor string, commits []*models.Commit) []*models.Commit {
+func setCommitMergedStatuses(ancestor string, commits []*models.Commit) []*models.Commit {
 	passedAncestor := false
 	for i, commit := range commits {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(ancestor, commit.Sha) {
+		// some commits aren't really commits and don't have sha's, such as the update-ref todo
+		if commit.Sha != "" && strings.HasPrefix(ancestor, commit.Sha) {
 			passedAncestor = true
 		}
 		if commit.Status != models.StatusPushed && commit.Status != models.StatusUnpushed {
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_loader_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_loader_test.go
index bcbc33c02..c3cfb0585 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_loader_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_loader_test.go
@@ -506,3 +506,50 @@ func TestCommitLoader_getConflictedCommitImpl(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCommitLoader_setCommitMergedStatuses(t *testing.T) {
+	type scenario struct {
+		testName        string
+		commits         []*models.Commit
+		ancestor        string
+		expectedCommits []*models.Commit
+	}
+
+	scenarios := []scenario{
+		{
+			testName: "basic",
+			commits: []*models.Commit{
+				{Sha: "12345", Name: "1", Action: models.ActionNone, Status: models.StatusUnpushed},
+				{Sha: "67890", Name: "2", Action: models.ActionNone, Status: models.StatusPushed},
+				{Sha: "abcde", Name: "3", Action: models.ActionNone, Status: models.StatusPushed},
+			},
+			ancestor: "67890",
+			expectedCommits: []*models.Commit{
+				{Sha: "12345", Name: "1", Action: models.ActionNone, Status: models.StatusUnpushed},
+				{Sha: "67890", Name: "2", Action: models.ActionNone, Status: models.StatusMerged},
+				{Sha: "abcde", Name: "3", Action: models.ActionNone, Status: models.StatusMerged},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			testName: "with update-ref",
+			commits: []*models.Commit{
+				{Sha: "12345", Name: "1", Action: models.ActionNone, Status: models.StatusUnpushed},
+				{Sha: "", Name: "", Action: todo.UpdateRef, Status: models.StatusNone},
+				{Sha: "abcde", Name: "3", Action: models.ActionNone, Status: models.StatusPushed},
+			},
+			ancestor: "deadbeef",
+			expectedCommits: []*models.Commit{
+				{Sha: "12345", Name: "1", Action: models.ActionNone, Status: models.StatusUnpushed},
+				{Sha: "", Name: "", Action: todo.UpdateRef, Status: models.StatusNone},
+				{Sha: "abcde", Name: "3", Action: models.ActionNone, Status: models.StatusPushed},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
+		t.Run(scenario.testName, func(t *testing.T) {
+			expectedCommits := setCommitMergedStatuses(scenario.ancestor, scenario.commits)
+			assert.Equal(t, scenario.expectedCommits, expectedCommits)
+		})
+	}
+}