What causes "Branch '{branch_name}' not found when checking for conflicts" in gitbutlerapp/gitbutler?

Run `but branch list` (or `git branch`) to confirm the branch exists

Branch ' ' not found when checking for conflicts

Error message

Branch '{branch_name}' not found when checking for conflicts

What it means

`check_for_conflicted_commits` builds the full local-branch ref name and asks for push scope with expensive commit info; if the workspace returns None the branch does not exist (or has no push scope), so it bails.

Solutions

Run `but branch list` (or `git branch`) to confirm the branch exists
Correct the branch name passed to `but push`
Create the branch if it was never created: `but branch create <name>`

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if !branch_exists(branch_name) { eprintln!("branch {branch_name} missing"); return; }

Try / catch

if let Err(e) = push_single_branch(ctx, name) {
    if e.to_string().contains("not found when checking for conflicts") {
        eprintln!("Branch '{name}' does not exist locally; run 'but branch list'");
    }
}

Prevention

Verify the branch exists with `but branch list` before pushing
Avoid renaming/deleting branches between status and push
Script against branch names captured from `but status`, not memory

When it happens

Trigger: `push_single_branch_impl` calls this for a branch name that is not a valid existing local branch, or push_scope_with_expensive_commit_info finds no workspace scope for it.

Common situations: Typo in branch name; branch was deleted or renamed before push; pushing a branch that was never created locally.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Not found" and "does not exist" errors: why "Task not found", "No such folder", and "Can't find" fire when a lookup comes back empty — this error's family across 14 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of gitbutlerapp/gitbutler@58e5313667 (2026-09-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/73e40885c37dbd3f. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at crates/but/src/command/legacy/push.rs:1234

    let remote_names = repo.remote_names();
    let target_branch =
        but_core::extract_remote_name_and_short_name(target_ref_name.as_ref(), &remote_names)
            .map(|(_, short_name)| short_name.to_string())
            .unwrap_or_else(|| target_ref_name.shorten().to_string());

    Ok(format!("refs/for/{target_branch}"))
}

/// Check if a push of this branch would include any conflicted commits.
/// The push covers the branch and everything beneath it, named by a branch
/// or not, so all of that is checked. Returns an error if conflicted commits
/// are found.
fn check_for_conflicted_commits(ctx: &Context, branch_name: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
    let branch = gix::refs::Category::LocalBranch.to_full_name(branch_name)?;
    let Some(commits) =
        crate::legacy::workspace::push_scope_with_expensive_commit_info(ctx, branch.as_ref())?
    else {
        anyhow::bail!("Branch '{branch_name}' not found when checking for conflicts");
    };

    let conflicted: Vec<gix::ObjectId> = commits
        .iter()
        .filter(|c| c.has_conflicts)
        .map(|c| c.id)
        .collect();
    if conflicted.is_empty() {
        return Ok(());
    }
    let repo = ctx.repo.get()?.clone().for_commit_shortening();
    // Only pay for the map when the error actually prints.
    let id_map = crate::IdMap::legacy_new_from_context(ctx).ok();
    let conflicted_commits: Vec<String> = conflicted
        .iter()
        .map(|id| {
            id_map
                .as_ref()

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