diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Instance.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Instance.cs
index 080c469aab..21e7edc06d 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Instance.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Instance.cs
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Components
 											Id = metadata.Id
 										}
 									};
+									logger.LogWarning(Repository.Repository.OriginTrackingErrorTemplate, currentSha);
 									db.Instances.Attach(revInfo.Instance);
 								}
 
diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Repository/Repository.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Repository/Repository.cs
index 1b704da4f5..c29384b083 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Repository/Repository.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Components/Repository/Repository.cs
@@ -18,13 +18,18 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Components.Repository
 		/// </summary>
 		public const string GitHubUrl = "://github.com/";
 
-		const string UnknownReference = "<UNKNOWN>";
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Template error message for when tracking of the most recent origin commit fails
+		/// </summary>
+		public const string OriginTrackingErrorTemplate = "Unable to determine most recent origin commit of {0}. Marking it as an origin commit. This may result in invalid git metadata until the next hard reset to an origin reference.";
 
 		/// <summary>
 		/// The branch name used for publishing testmerge commits
 		/// </summary>
 		public const string RemoteTemporaryBranchName = "___TGSTempBranch";
 
+		const string UnknownReference = "<UNKNOWN>";
+
 		/// <inheritdoc />
 		public bool IsGitHubRepository { get; }
 
diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/DreamMakerController.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/DreamMakerController.cs
index 9341fd8dd3..d2cb696917 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/DreamMakerController.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/DreamMakerController.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using Tgstation.Server.Api;
 using Tgstation.Server.Api.Rights;
 using Tgstation.Server.Host.Components;
+using Tgstation.Server.Host.Components.Repository;
 using Tgstation.Server.Host.Core;
 using Tgstation.Server.Host.Models;
 using Tgstation.Server.Host.Security;
@@ -179,6 +180,7 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Controllers
 							Id = Instance.Id
 						}
 					};
+					Logger.LogWarning(Repository.OriginTrackingErrorTemplate, repoSha);
 					databaseContext.Instances.Attach(revInfo.Instance);
 				}
 
diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/RepositoryController.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/RepositoryController.cs
index 3cc31661ca..fc916acae6 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/RepositoryController.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Controllers/RepositoryController.cs
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Controllers
 			generalConfiguration = generalConfigurationOptions?.Value ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(generalConfigurationOptions));
 		}
 
-		static async Task<bool> LoadRevisionInformation(Components.Repository.IRepository repository, IDatabaseContext databaseContext, Models.Instance instance, string lastOriginCommitSha, Action<Models.RevisionInformation> revInfoSink, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+		async Task<bool> LoadRevisionInformation(Components.Repository.IRepository repository, IDatabaseContext databaseContext, Models.Instance instance, string lastOriginCommitSha, Action<Models.RevisionInformation> revInfoSink, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
 		{
 			var repoSha = repository.Head;
 
@@ -96,12 +96,17 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Controllers
 				lock (databaseContext)  //cleaner this way
 					databaseContext.RevisionInformations.Add(revisionInfo);
 			}
-			revisionInfo.OriginCommitSha = revisionInfo.OriginCommitSha ?? lastOriginCommitSha ?? repository.Head;
+			revisionInfo.OriginCommitSha = revisionInfo.OriginCommitSha ?? lastOriginCommitSha;
+			if (revisionInfo.OriginCommitSha == null)
+			{
+				revisionInfo.OriginCommitSha = repoSha;
+				Logger.LogWarning(Components.Repository.Repository.OriginTrackingErrorTemplate, repoSha);
+			}
 			revInfoSink?.Invoke(revisionInfo);
 			return needsDbUpdate;
 		}
 
-		static async Task<bool> PopulateApi(Repository model, Components.Repository.IRepository repository, IDatabaseContext databaseContext, Models.Instance instance, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+		async Task<bool> PopulateApi(Repository model, Components.Repository.IRepository repository, IDatabaseContext databaseContext, Models.Instance instance, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
 		{
 			if (repository.IsGitHubRepository)
 			{