diff --git a/.bra.toml b/.bra.toml
index 7d49786d30..f1da310aca 100644
--- a/.bra.toml
+++ b/.bra.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ watch_dirs = [
 watch_exts = [".go"]
 build_delay = 1500
 cmds = [
+	["go", "install"],
 	["go", "install", "-race"], # sqlite redis memcache cert pam tidb
 	["go", "build", "-race"],
 	["./gogs", "web"]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4d683eadd0..437ac80203 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Gogs - Go Git Service [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/gogits/gogs.svg?bra
 
 ![](public/img/gogs-large-resize.png)
 
-##### Current version: 0.7.16 Beta
+##### Current version: 0.7.17 Beta
 
 <table>
     <tr>
diff --git a/gogs.go b/gogs.go
index 95c21a5d46..a9601bfbe2 100644
--- a/gogs.go
+++ b/gogs.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gogits/gogs/modules/setting"
 )
 
-const APP_VER = "0.7.16.1118 Beta"
+const APP_VER = "0.7.17.1118 Beta"
 
 func init() {
 	runtime.GOMAXPROCS(runtime.NumCPU())
diff --git a/modules/git/error.go b/modules/git/error.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c86c56e546
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/git/error.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// Copyright 2015 The Gogs Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a MIT-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package git
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+type ErrUnsupportedVersion struct {
+	Required string
+}
+
+func IsErrUnsupportedVersion(err error) bool {
+	_, ok := err.(ErrUnsupportedVersion)
+	return ok
+}
+
+func (err ErrUnsupportedVersion) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("Operation requires higher version [required: %s]", err.Required)
+}
diff --git a/modules/git/repo_branch.go b/modules/git/repo_branch.go
index a4e060533c..86c4f538b4 100644
--- a/modules/git/repo_branch.go
+++ b/modules/git/repo_branch.go
@@ -35,3 +35,16 @@ func (repo *Repository) GetBranches() ([]string, error) {
 	}
 	return branches, nil
 }
+
+// SetDefaultBranch sets default branch of repository.
+func (repo *Repository) SetDefaultBranch(branchName string) error {
+	if gitVer.LessThan(MustParseVersion("1.7.10")) {
+		return ErrUnsupportedVersion{"1.7.10"}
+	}
+
+	_, stderr, err := com.ExecCmdDir(repo.Path, "git", "symbolic-ref", "HEAD", "refs/heads/"+branchName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return concatenateError(err, stderr)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/routers/repo/setting.go b/routers/repo/setting.go
index bee29254c5..019949b793 100644
--- a/routers/repo/setting.go
+++ b/routers/repo/setting.go
@@ -80,8 +80,15 @@ func SettingsPost(ctx *middleware.Context, form auth.RepoSettingForm) {
 		repo.Name = newRepoName
 		repo.LowerName = strings.ToLower(newRepoName)
 
-		if ctx.Repo.GitRepo.IsBranchExist(form.Branch) {
+		if ctx.Repo.GitRepo.IsBranchExist(form.Branch) &&
+			repo.DefaultBranch != form.Branch {
 			repo.DefaultBranch = form.Branch
+			if err := ctx.Repo.GitRepo.SetDefaultBranch(form.Branch); err != nil {
+				if !git.IsErrUnsupportedVersion(err) {
+					ctx.Handle(500, "SetDefaultBranch", err)
+					return
+				}
+			}
 		}
 		repo.Description = form.Description
 		repo.Website = form.Website
diff --git a/templates/.VERSION b/templates/.VERSION
index 38e57d5a12..9233e6e73c 100644
--- a/templates/.VERSION
+++ b/templates/.VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.7.16.1118 Beta
\ No newline at end of file
+0.7.17.1118 Beta
\ No newline at end of file