diff --git a/gclient_scm.py b/gclient_scm.py
index 1b50abee9..26d96585c 100644
--- a/gclient_scm.py
+++ b/gclient_scm.py
@@ -356,13 +356,6 @@ class GitWrapper(SCMWrapper):
       verbose = ['--verbose']
       printed_path = True
 
-    if not managed:
-      self.Print('________ unmanaged solution; skipping %s' % self.relpath)
-      try:
-        return self._Capture(['rev-parse', '--verify', 'HEAD'])
-      except subprocess2.CalledProcessError:
-        return None
-
     url = self._CreateOrUpdateCache(url, options)
 
     if revision.startswith('refs/'):
@@ -396,6 +389,11 @@ class GitWrapper(SCMWrapper):
         self.Print('')
       return self._Capture(['rev-parse', '--verify', 'HEAD'])
 
+    if not managed:
+      self._UpdateBranchHeads(options, fetch=False)
+      self.Print('________ unmanaged solution; skipping %s' % self.relpath)
+      return self._Capture(['rev-parse', '--verify', 'HEAD'])
+
     # See if the url has changed (the unittests use git://foo for the url, let
     # that through).
     current_url = self._Capture(['config', 'remote.%s.url' % self.remote])
diff --git a/tests/gclient_scm_test.py b/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
index f2d35eacb..0341229c3 100755
--- a/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
+++ b/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
@@ -1413,17 +1413,19 @@ class UnmanagedGitWrapperTestCase(BaseGitWrapperTestCase):
                                 root_dir=self.root_dir,
                                 relpath=self.relpath)
 
+    expected_file_list = [join(self.base_path, "a"),
+                          join(self.base_path, "b")]
     file_list = []
     options.revision = 'unmanaged'
     scm.update(options, (), file_list)
 
-    self.assertEquals(file_list, [])
-    self.assertRaises(subprocess2.CalledProcessError,
-                      scm.revinfo, options, (), None)
-
+    self.assertEquals(file_list, expected_file_list)
+    self.assertEquals(scm.revinfo(options, (), None),
+                      '069c602044c5388d2d15c3f875b057c852003458')
     # indicates detached HEAD
-    self.assertRaises(subprocess2.CalledProcessError, self.getCurrentBranch)
-    self.checkInStdout('unmanaged solution; skipping')
+    self.assertEquals(self.getCurrentBranch(), None)
+    self.checkInStdout(
+      'Checked out refs/remotes/origin/master to a detached HEAD')
 
     rmtree(origin_root_dir)
 
@@ -1443,16 +1445,19 @@ class UnmanagedGitWrapperTestCase(BaseGitWrapperTestCase):
                                 root_dir=self.root_dir,
                                 relpath=self.relpath)
 
+    expected_file_list = [join(self.base_path, "a"),
+                          join(self.base_path, "b")]
     file_list = []
     options.revision = 'unmanaged'
     scm.update(options, (), file_list)
 
-    self.assertEquals(file_list, [])
-    self.assertRaises(subprocess2.CalledProcessError,
-                      scm.revinfo, options, (), None)
+    self.assertEquals(file_list, expected_file_list)
+    self.assertEquals(scm.revinfo(options, (), None),
+                      'a7142dc9f0009350b96a11f372b6ea658592aa95')
     # indicates detached HEAD
-    self.assertRaises(subprocess2.CalledProcessError, self.getCurrentBranch)
-    self.checkInStdout('unmanaged solution; skipping')
+    self.assertEquals(self.getCurrentBranch(), None)
+    self.checkInStdout(
+      'Checked out a7142dc9f0009350b96a11f372b6ea658592aa95 to a detached HEAD')
 
     rmtree(origin_root_dir)
 
@@ -1471,14 +1476,17 @@ class UnmanagedGitWrapperTestCase(BaseGitWrapperTestCase):
                                 root_dir=self.root_dir,
                                 relpath=self.relpath)
 
+    expected_file_list = [join(self.base_path, "a"),
+                          join(self.base_path, "b"),
+                          join(self.base_path, "c")]
     file_list = []
     options.revision = 'unmanaged'
     scm.update(options, (), file_list)
 
-    self.assertEquals(file_list, [])
-    self.assertRaises(subprocess2.CalledProcessError,
-                      scm.revinfo, options, (), None)
-    self.assertRaises(subprocess2.CalledProcessError, self.getCurrentBranch)
+    self.assertEquals(file_list, expected_file_list)
+    self.assertEquals(scm.revinfo(options, (), None),
+                      '9a51244740b25fa2ded5252ca00a3178d3f665a9')
+    self.assertEquals(self.getCurrentBranch(), 'feature')
     self.checkNotInStdout('Checked out feature to a detached HEAD')
 
     rmtree(origin_root_dir)
@@ -1498,16 +1506,20 @@ class UnmanagedGitWrapperTestCase(BaseGitWrapperTestCase):
                                 root_dir=self.root_dir,
                                 relpath=self.relpath)
 
+    expected_file_list = [join(self.base_path, "a"),
+                          join(self.base_path, "b"),
+                          join(self.base_path, "c")]
     file_list = []
     options.revision = 'unmanaged'
-    scm.update(options, (), [])
+    scm.update(options, (), file_list)
 
-    self.assertEquals(file_list, [])
-    self.assertRaises(subprocess2.CalledProcessError,
-                      scm.revinfo, options, (), None)
+    self.assertEquals(file_list, expected_file_list)
+    self.assertEquals(scm.revinfo(options, (), None),
+                      '9a51244740b25fa2ded5252ca00a3178d3f665a9')
     # indicates detached HEAD
-    self.assertRaises(subprocess2.CalledProcessError, self.getCurrentBranch)
-    self.checkInStdout('unmanaged solution; skipping')
+    self.assertEquals(self.getCurrentBranch(), None)
+    self.checkInStdout(
+      'Checked out refs/remotes/origin/feature to a detached HEAD')
 
     rmtree(origin_root_dir)
 
@@ -1526,14 +1538,17 @@ class UnmanagedGitWrapperTestCase(BaseGitWrapperTestCase):
                                 root_dir=self.root_dir,
                                 relpath=self.relpath)
 
+    expected_file_list = [join(self.base_path, "a"),
+                          join(self.base_path, "b"),
+                          join(self.base_path, "c")]
     file_list = []
     options.revision = 'unmanaged'
     scm.update(options, (), file_list)
 
-    self.assertEquals(file_list, [])
-    self.assertRaises(subprocess2.CalledProcessError,
-                      scm.revinfo, options, (), None)
-    self.assertRaises(subprocess2.CalledProcessError, self.getCurrentBranch)
+    self.assertEquals(file_list, expected_file_list)
+    self.assertEquals(scm.revinfo(options, (), None),
+                      '9a51244740b25fa2ded5252ca00a3178d3f665a9')
+    self.assertEquals(self.getCurrentBranch(), 'feature')
     self.checkNotInStdout(
       'Checked out refs/heads/feature to a detached HEAD')