diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_loader.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_loader.go
index 3053cd6fa..6cb61754f 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_loader.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_loader.go
@@ -74,7 +74,10 @@ func (self *BranchLoader) Load(reflogCommits []*models.Commit,
 	onWorker func(func() error),
 	renderFunc func(),
 ) ([]*models.Branch, error) {
-	branches, tips := self.obtainBranches()
+	branches, tips, err := self.obtainBranches()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	switch self.UserConfig().Git.LocalBranchSortOrder {
 	case "date":
@@ -326,10 +329,10 @@ func (self *BranchLoader) GetBaseBranch(branch *models.Branch, mainBranches *Mai
 
 // Returns the branches, along with the tip of each of them, keyed by full ref
 // name
-func (self *BranchLoader) obtainBranches() ([]*models.Branch, map[string]refTip) {
+func (self *BranchLoader) obtainBranches() ([]*models.Branch, map[string]refTip, error) {
 	output, err := self.getRawBranches()
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
 	trimmedOutput := strings.TrimSpace(output)
@@ -355,7 +358,7 @@ func (self *BranchLoader) obtainBranches() ([]*models.Branch, map[string]refTip)
 		return branch, true
 	})
 
-	return branches, tips
+	return branches, tips, nil
 }
 
 func (self *BranchLoader) getRawBranches() (string, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_loader_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_loader_test.go
index eee277ca3..ad9c0b48f 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_loader_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_loader_test.go
@@ -179,11 +179,8 @@ func TestLoadWhenListingBranchesFails(t *testing.T) {
 		cmd:       gitCommon.cmd,
 	}
 
-	/* EXPECTED:
 	_, err := loader.Load(nil, nil, nil, false, nil, nil)
 	assert.EqualError(t, err, "chdir /path/to/repo: no such file or directory")
-	ACTUAL: */
-	assert.PanicsWithError(t, "chdir /path/to/repo: no such file or directory", func() { _, _ = loader.Load(nil, nil, nil, false, nil, nil) })
 
 	runner.CheckForMissingCalls()
 }