diff --git a/editor/js/ui/projects/tab-versionControl.js b/editor/js/ui/projects/tab-versionControl.js
index 798c26092..2d202a3a6 100644
--- a/editor/js/ui/projects/tab-versionControl.js
+++ b/editor/js/ui/projects/tab-versionControl.js
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
             .appendTo(bg)
             .click(function(evt) {
                 evt.preventDefault();
-                refresh(true);
+                refresh(true,true);
             })
 
         var localBranchToolbar = $('<div class="sidebar-version-control-change-header" style="text-align: right;"></div>').appendTo(localHistory.content);
@@ -909,6 +909,7 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
                         },
                         'git_pull_merge_conflict': function(err) {
                             refresh(true);
+                            closeRemoteBox();
                         },
                         'git_connection_failed': function(err) {
                             RED.notify("Could not connect to remote repository: "+err.toString(),"warning")
@@ -1226,7 +1227,7 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
         }
     }
 
-    function refresh(full) {
+    function refresh(full, includeRemote) {
         if (refreshInProgress) {
             return;
         }
@@ -1246,7 +1247,11 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
 
         var activeProject = RED.projects.getActiveProject();
         if (activeProject) {
-            $.getJSON("projects/"+activeProject.name+"/status",function(result) {
+            var url = "projects/"+activeProject.name+"/status";
+            if (includeRemote) {
+                url += "?remote=true"
+            }
+            $.getJSON(url,function(result) {
                 refreshFiles(result);
 
                 $('#sidebar-version-control-local-branch').text(result.branches.local);
diff --git a/red/api/editor/projects/index.js b/red/api/editor/projects/index.js
index 440d6a8bb..0dc0cd664 100644
--- a/red/api/editor/projects/index.js
+++ b/red/api/editor/projects/index.js
@@ -149,7 +149,9 @@ module.exports = {
 
         // Get project status - files, commit counts, branch info
         app.get("/:id/status", needsPermission("projects.read"), function(req,res) {
-            runtime.storage.projects.getStatus(req.user, req.params.id).then(function(data) {
+            var includeRemote = req.query.remote;
+
+            runtime.storage.projects.getStatus(req.user, req.params.id, includeRemote).then(function(data) {
                 if (data) {
                     res.json(data);
                 } else {
diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
index 7f03aa109..d3a0c0cb1 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
@@ -410,11 +410,11 @@ Project.prototype.revertFile = function (filePath) {
 
 
 
-Project.prototype.status = function(user) {
+Project.prototype.status = function(user, includeRemote) {
     var self = this;
 
     var fetchPromise;
-    if (this.remotes) {
+    if (this.remotes && includeRemote) {
         fetchPromise = gitTools.getRemoteBranch(self.path).then(function(remoteBranch) {
             if (remoteBranch) {
                 var allRemotes = Object.keys(self.remotes);
diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
index 88e85c05a..9c1fb97fa 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
@@ -247,9 +247,9 @@ function pull(user, project,remoteBranchName,setRemote,allowUnrelatedHistories)
         return reloadActiveProject("pull");
     });
 }
-function getStatus(user, project) {
+function getStatus(user, project, includeRemote) {
     checkActiveProject(project);
-    return activeProject.status(user);
+    return activeProject.status(user, includeRemote);
 }
 function resolveMerge(user, project,file,resolution) {
     checkActiveProject(project);