diff --git a/git/git.go b/git/git.go
index bbdc6e301..16570a0fa 100644
--- a/git/git.go
+++ b/git/git.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ func VerifyRef(ref string) bool {
 
 // CurrentBranch reads the checked-out branch for the git repository
 func CurrentBranch() (string, error) {
-
 	refCmd := GitCommand("symbolic-ref", "--quiet", "--short", "HEAD")
 
 	output, err := run.PrepareCmd(refCmd).Output()
diff --git a/git/git_test.go b/git/git_test.go
index 50ce4c71c..b73104c95 100644
--- a/git/git_test.go
+++ b/git/git_test.go
@@ -37,27 +37,6 @@ func Test_UncommittedChangeCount(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func Test_CurrentBranch_no_commits(t *testing.T) {
-	cs, teardown := test.InitCmdStubber()
-	defer teardown()
-
-	expected := "branch-name"
-
-	cs.StubError("")
-	cs.Stub(expected)
-
-	result, err := CurrentBranch()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("got unexpected error: %w", err)
-	}
-	if len(cs.Calls) != 2 {
-		t.Errorf("expected 2 git calls, saw %d", len(cs.Calls))
-	}
-	if result != expected {
-		t.Errorf("unexpected branch name: %s instead of %s", result, expected)
-	}
-}
-
 func Test_CurrentBranch(t *testing.T) {
 	cs, teardown := test.InitCmdStubber()
 	defer teardown()
@@ -82,7 +61,7 @@ func Test_CurrentBranch_detached_head(t *testing.T) {
 	cs, teardown := test.InitCmdStubber()
 	defer teardown()
 
-	cs.Stub("HEAD")
+	cs.StubError("")
 
 	_, err := CurrentBranch()
 	if err == nil {
@@ -96,3 +75,23 @@ func Test_CurrentBranch_detached_head(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected 1 git call, saw %d", len(cs.Calls))
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_CurrentBranch_unexpected_error(t *testing.T) {
+	cs, teardown := test.InitCmdStubber()
+	defer teardown()
+
+	cs.StubError("lol")
+
+	expectedError := "lol\nstub: lol"
+
+	_, err := CurrentBranch()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("expected an error")
+	}
+	if err.Error() != expectedError {
+		t.Errorf("got unexpected error: %s instead of %s", err.Error(), expectedError)
+	}
+	if len(cs.Calls) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 git call, saw %d", len(cs.Calls))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/test/helpers.go b/test/helpers.go
index cffdc5272..390d779c4 100644
--- a/test/helpers.go
+++ b/test/helpers.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package test
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os/exec"
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 // OutputStub implements a simple utils.Runnable
 type OutputStub struct {
 	Out   []byte
-	Error error
+	Error *run.CmdError
 }
 
 func (s OutputStub) Output() ([]byte, error) {
@@ -47,9 +48,11 @@ func (cs *CmdStubber) Stub(desiredOutput string) {
 	cs.Stubs = append(cs.Stubs, &OutputStub{[]byte(desiredOutput), nil})
 }
 
-func (cs *CmdStubber) StubError(msg string) {
-	// TODO consider handling CmdErr instead of a raw error
-	cs.Stubs = append(cs.Stubs, &OutputStub{[]byte{}, errors.New(msg)})
+func (cs *CmdStubber) StubError(errText string) {
+	stderrBuff := bytes.NewBufferString(errText)
+	args := []string{"stub"} // TODO make more real?
+	err := errors.New(errText)
+	cs.Stubs = append(cs.Stubs, &OutputStub{[]byte{}, &run.CmdError{stderrBuff, args, err}})
 }
 
 func createStubbedPrepareCmd(cs *CmdStubber) func(*exec.Cmd) run.Runnable {