diff --git a/vcs/src/main/java/org/openjdk/skara/vcs/git/GitRepository.java b/vcs/src/main/java/org/openjdk/skara/vcs/git/GitRepository.java
index 6b82eaf92..6993d5b90 100644
--- a/vcs/src/main/java/org/openjdk/skara/vcs/git/GitRepository.java
+++ b/vcs/src/main/java/org/openjdk/skara/vcs/git/GitRepository.java
@@ -210,11 +210,24 @@ public List<CommitMetadata> commitMetadata() throws IOException {
         return result;
     }
 
+    private int numRefs() throws IOException {
+        try (var p = capture("git", "show-ref", "--hash", "--abbrev")) {
+            var res = p.await();
+            if (res.status() == -1) {
+                if (res.stdout().size() != 0) {
+                    throw new IOException("Unexpected output\n" + res);
+                }
+                return 0;
+            } else {
+                return res.stdout().size();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public boolean isEmpty() throws IOException {
         int numLooseObjects = -1;
         int numPackedObjects = -1;
-        int numRefs = -1;
 
         try (var p = capture("git", "count-objects", "-v")) {
             var res = await(p);
@@ -238,19 +251,7 @@ public boolean isEmpty() throws IOException {
             }
         }
 
-        try (var p = capture("git", "show-ref", "--hash", "--abbrev")) {
-            var res = p.await();
-            if (res.status() == -1) {
-                if (res.stdout().size() != 0) {
-                    throw new IOException("Unexpected output\n" + res);
-                }
-                numRefs = 0;
-            } else {
-                numRefs = res.stdout().size();
-            }
-        }
-
-        return numLooseObjects == 0 && numPackedObjects == 0 && numRefs == 0;
+        return numLooseObjects == 0 && numPackedObjects == 0 && numRefs() == 0;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -258,6 +259,9 @@ public boolean isHealthy() throws IOException {
         if (isEmpty()) {
             return true;
         }
+        if (numRefs() == 0) {
+            return true;
+        }
 
         var name = "health-check";
         try (var p = capture("git", "branch", name, "HEAD")) {
diff --git a/vcs/src/test/java/org/openjdk/skara/vcs/RepositoryTests.java b/vcs/src/test/java/org/openjdk/skara/vcs/RepositoryTests.java
index 0f8d45efa..51cfebe43 100644
--- a/vcs/src/test/java/org/openjdk/skara/vcs/RepositoryTests.java
+++ b/vcs/src/test/java/org/openjdk/skara/vcs/RepositoryTests.java
@@ -663,6 +663,26 @@ void testNonEmptyRepositoryIsHealthy(VCS vcs) throws IOException {
         }
     }
 
+    @ParameterizedTest
+    @EnumSource(VCS.class)
+    void testNonCheckedOutRepositoryIsHealthy(VCS vcs) throws IOException {
+        try (var dir1 = new TemporaryDirectory();
+             var dir2 = new TemporaryDirectory()) {
+            var r1 = Repository.init(dir1.path(), vcs);
+
+            var readme = dir1.path().resolve("README");
+            Files.write(readme, List.of("Hello, readme!"));
+
+            r1.add(readme);
+            r1.commit("Add README", "duke", "duke@openjdk.java.net");
+
+            var r2 = Repository.init(dir2.path(), vcs);
+            r2.fetch(r1.root().toUri(), r1.defaultBranch().name());
+
+            assertTrue(r2.isHealthy());
+        }
+    }
+
     @ParameterizedTest
     @EnumSource(VCS.class)
     void testBranchesOnEmptyRepository(VCS vcs) throws IOException {