diff --git a/modules/context/repo.go b/modules/context/repo.go
index 3bdc34f0d..b8b4c961b 100755
--- a/modules/context/repo.go
+++ b/modules/context/repo.go
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ func RepoAssignment() macaron.Handler {
 
 		duration := time.Since(startTime)
 		log.Info("GetTags cost: %v seconds", duration.Seconds())
-		brs, _, err := ctx.Repo.GitRepo.GetBranches(0, 0)
+		brs, total, err := ctx.Repo.GitRepo.GetBranchNames(0, 15)
 		if err != nil {
 			ctx.ServerError("GetBranches", err)
 			return
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ func RepoAssignment() macaron.Handler {
 		log.Info("GetBranches cost: %v seconds", duration.Seconds())
 
 		ctx.Data["Branches"] = brs
-		ctx.Data["BranchesCount"] = len(brs)
+		ctx.Data["BranchesCount"] = total
 
 		ctx.Data["TagName"] = ctx.Repo.TagName
 
diff --git a/modules/git/repo_branch.go b/modules/git/repo_branch.go
index ad5acfdbf..bb48223c5 100755
--- a/modules/git/repo_branch.go
+++ b/modules/git/repo_branch.go
@@ -173,6 +173,106 @@ func (repo *Repository) GetBranches(skip, limit int) ([]string, int, error) {
 	return callShowRef(repo.Path, BranchPrefix, "--heads", skip, limit)
 }
 
+func (repo *Repository) GetBranchNames(skip, limit int) ([]string, int, error) {
+	return callShowRefNew(repo.Path, BranchPrefix, []string{BranchPrefix, "--sort=-committerdate"}, skip, limit)
+}
+
+func callShowRefNew(repoPath, trimPrefix string, extraArgs []string, skip, limit int) (branchNames []string, countAll int, err error) {
+	countAll, err = walkShowRef(repoPath, extraArgs, skip, limit, func(_, branchName string) error {
+		branchName = strings.TrimPrefix(branchName, trimPrefix)
+		branchNames = append(branchNames, branchName)
+		return nil
+	})
+	return branchNames, countAll, err
+}
+
+func walkShowRef(repoPath string, extraArgs []string, skip, limit int, walkfn func(sha1, refname string) error) (countAll int, err error) {
+	stdoutReader, stdoutWriter := io.Pipe()
+	defer func() {
+		_ = stdoutReader.Close()
+		_ = stdoutWriter.Close()
+	}()
+
+	go func() {
+		stderrBuilder := &strings.Builder{}
+		args := []string{"for-each-ref", "--format=%(objectname) %(refname)"}
+		args = append(args, extraArgs...)
+		err := NewCommand(args...).RunInDirPipeline(repoPath, stdoutWriter, stderrBuilder)
+		if err != nil {
+			if stderrBuilder.Len() == 0 {
+				_ = stdoutWriter.Close()
+				return
+			}
+			_ = stdoutWriter.CloseWithError(ConcatenateError(err, stderrBuilder.String()))
+		} else {
+			_ = stdoutWriter.Close()
+		}
+	}()
+
+	i := 0
+	bufReader := bufio.NewReader(stdoutReader)
+	for i < skip {
+		_, isPrefix, err := bufReader.ReadLine()
+		if err == io.EOF {
+			return i, nil
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, err
+		}
+		if !isPrefix {
+			i++
+		}
+	}
+	for limit == 0 || i < skip+limit {
+		// The output of show-ref is simply a list:
+		// <sha> SP <ref> LF
+		sha, err := bufReader.ReadString(' ')
+		if err == io.EOF {
+			return i, nil
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, err
+		}
+
+		branchName, err := bufReader.ReadString('\n')
+		if err == io.EOF {
+			// This shouldn't happen... but we'll tolerate it for the sake of peace
+			return i, nil
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return i, err
+		}
+
+		if len(branchName) > 0 {
+			branchName = branchName[:len(branchName)-1]
+		}
+
+		if len(sha) > 0 {
+			sha = sha[:len(sha)-1]
+		}
+
+		err = walkfn(sha, branchName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return i, err
+		}
+		i++
+	}
+	// count all refs
+	for limit != 0 {
+		_, isPrefix, err := bufReader.ReadLine()
+		if err == io.EOF {
+			return i, nil
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, err
+		}
+		if !isPrefix {
+			i++
+		}
+	}
+	return i, nil
+}
+
 // callShowRef return refs, if limit = 0 it will not limit
 func callShowRef(repoPath, prefix, arg string, skip, limit int) (branchNames []string, countAll int, err error) {
 	stdoutReader, stdoutWriter := io.Pipe()
diff --git a/routers/repo/branch.go b/routers/repo/branch.go
index c8e492373..ed6f061d3 100755
--- a/routers/repo/branch.go
+++ b/routers/repo/branch.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 package repo
 
 import (
+	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models"
@@ -54,6 +55,26 @@ func Branches(ctx *context.Context) {
 	ctx.HTML(200, tplBranch)
 }
 
+func BranchNames(ctx *context.Context) {
+
+	page := ctx.QueryInt("page")
+	pageSize := ctx.QueryInt("pageSize")
+	if page <= 0 {
+		page = 1
+	}
+	maxPagingNum := 50
+	defaultPagingNum := 15
+	if pageSize == 0 || pageSize > maxPagingNum {
+		pageSize = defaultPagingNum
+	}
+	skip := (page - 1) * pageSize
+	branchNames, total, _ := ctx.Repo.GitRepo.GetBranchNames(skip, pageSize)
+	ctx.JSON(http.StatusOK, map[string]interface{}{
+		"branches": branchNames,
+		"total":    total,
+	})
+}
+
 // DeleteBranchPost responses for delete merged branch
 func DeleteBranchPost(ctx *context.Context) {
 	defer redirect(ctx)
diff --git a/routers/routes/routes.go b/routers/routes/routes.go
index 31bba2aeb..5f2a5582e 100755
--- a/routers/routes/routes.go
+++ b/routers/routes/routes.go
@@ -1402,6 +1402,7 @@ func RegisterRoutes(m *macaron.Macaron) {
 
 		m.Group("/branches", func() {
 			m.Get("", repo.Branches)
+			m.Get("/names", repo.BranchNames)
 		}, repo.MustBeNotEmpty, context.RepoRef(), reqRepoCodeReader)
 
 		m.Group("/blob_excerpt", func() {