diff --git a/extensions/git/src/historyProvider.ts b/extensions/git/src/historyProvider.ts
index df928afdfc7..04772f79f93 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/historyProvider.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/historyProvider.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { Repository, Resource } from './repository';
 import { IDisposable } from './util';
 import { toGitUri } from './uri';
 import { SyncActionButton } from './actionButton';
-import { Status } from './api/git';
+import { RefType, Status } from './api/git';
 
 export class GitHistoryProvider implements SourceControlHistoryProvider, FileDecorationProvider, IDisposable {
 
@@ -142,9 +142,23 @@ export class GitHistoryProvider implements SourceControlHistoryProvider, FileDec
 			return this.currentHistoryItemGroup.upstream;
 		}
 
-		// Default branch
-		const defaultBranch = await this.repository.getDefaultBranch();
-		return defaultBranch.name ? { id: `refs/heads/${defaultBranch.name}`, label: defaultBranch.name } : undefined;
+		// Branch base
+		const branchBase = await this.repository.getBranchBase(historyItemGroupId);
+
+		if (branchBase?.name && branchBase?.type === RefType.Head) {
+			return {
+				id: `refs/heads/${branchBase.name}`,
+				label: branchBase.name
+			};
+		}
+		if (branchBase?.name && branchBase.remote && branchBase?.type === RefType.RemoteHead) {
+			return {
+				id: `refs/remotes/${branchBase.remote}/${branchBase.name}`,
+				label: `${branchBase.remote}/${branchBase.name}`
+			};
+		}
+
+		return undefined;
 	}
 
 	async resolveHistoryItemGroupCommonAncestor(refId1: string, refId2: string): Promise<{ id: string; ahead: number; behind: number } | undefined> {
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
index 1065762a3fb..8ae0143f1f2 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
@@ -1439,10 +1439,6 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 		await this.run(Operation.Move, () => this.repository.move(from, to));
 	}
 
-	async getDefaultBranch(): Promise<Branch> {
-		return await this.run(Operation.GetBranch, () => this.repository.getDefaultBranch());
-	}
-
 	async getBranch(name: string): Promise<Branch> {
 		return await this.run(Operation.GetBranch, () => this.repository.getBranch(name));
 	}
@@ -1454,6 +1450,32 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 		});
 	}
 
+	async getBranchBase(ref: string): Promise<Branch | undefined> {
+		const branch = await this.getBranch(ref);
+
+		// Upstream
+		if (branch.upstream) {
+			return this.getBranch(`refs/remotes/${branch.upstream.remote}/${branch.upstream.name}`);
+		}
+
+		// Default branch
+		return await this.getDefaultBranch();
+	}
+
+	private async getDefaultBranch(): Promise<Branch | undefined> {
+		try {
+			const defaultBranchResult = await this.repository.exec(['symbolic-ref', '--short', 'refs/remotes/origin/HEAD']);
+			if (defaultBranchResult.stdout.trim() === '' || defaultBranchResult.stderr) {
+				return undefined;
+			}
+
+			return this.getBranch(defaultBranchResult.stdout.trim());
+		}
+		catch (err) { }
+
+		return undefined;
+	}
+
 	async getRefs(query: RefQuery = {}, cancellationToken?: CancellationToken): Promise<Ref[]> {
 		const config = workspace.getConfiguration('git');
 		let defaultSort = config.get<'alphabetically' | 'committerdate'>('branchSortOrder');