diff --git a/routers/web/web.go b/routers/web/web.go
index 62613663fdcd..328be992d411 100644
--- a/routers/web/web.go
+++ b/routers/web/web.go
@@ -1063,7 +1063,7 @@ func registerRoutes(m *web.Route) {
 			m.Combo("/edit").Get(repo_setting.SettingsProtectedBranch).
 				Post(web.Bind(forms.ProtectBranchForm{}), context.RepoMustNotBeArchived(), repo_setting.SettingsProtectedBranchPost)
 			m.Post("/{id}/delete", repo_setting.DeleteProtectedBranchRulePost)
-		}, repo.MustBeNotEmpty)
+		})
 
 		m.Group("/tags", func() {
 			m.Get("", repo_setting.ProtectedTags)
diff --git a/templates/repo/settings/branches.tmpl b/templates/repo/settings/branches.tmpl
index 52c0c2c800b6..6f070ba61cd0 100644
--- a/templates/repo/settings/branches.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/settings/branches.tmpl
@@ -15,19 +15,17 @@
 				<form class="tw-flex" action="{{.Link}}" method="post">
 					{{.CsrfTokenHtml}}
 					<input type="hidden" name="action" value="default_branch">
-					{{if not .Repository.IsEmpty}}
-						<div class="ui dropdown selection search tw-flex-1 tw-mr-2 tw-max-w-96">
-							{{svg "octicon-triangle-down" 14 "dropdown icon"}}
-							<input type="hidden" name="branch" value="{{.Repository.DefaultBranch}}">
-							<div class="default text">{{.Repository.DefaultBranch}}</div>
-							<div class="menu">
-								{{range .Branches}}
-									<div class="item" data-value="{{.}}">{{.}}</div>
-								{{end}}
-							</div>
+					<div class="ui dropdown selection search tw-flex-1 tw-mr-2 tw-max-w-96">
+						{{svg "octicon-triangle-down" 14 "dropdown icon"}}
+						<input type="hidden" name="branch" value="{{.Repository.DefaultBranch}}">
+						<div class="default text">{{.Repository.DefaultBranch}}</div>
+						<div class="menu">
+							{{range .Branches}}
+								<div class="item" data-value="{{.}}">{{.}}</div>
+							{{end}}
 						</div>
-						<button class="ui primary button">{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.settings.branches.update_default_branch"}}</button>
-					{{end}}
+					</div>
+					<button class="ui primary button"{{if .Repository.IsEmpty}} disabled{{end}}>{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.settings.branches.update_default_branch"}}</button>
 				</form>
 			</div>
 
diff --git a/templates/repo/settings/navbar.tmpl b/templates/repo/settings/navbar.tmpl
index 414effbf2f3b..debfad20b79a 100644
--- a/templates/repo/settings/navbar.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/settings/navbar.tmpl
@@ -13,11 +13,9 @@
 			</a>
 		{{end}}
 		{{if .Repository.UnitEnabled $.Context ctx.Consts.RepoUnitTypeCode}}
-			{{if not .Repository.IsEmpty}}
-				<a class="{{if .PageIsSettingsBranches}}active {{end}}item" href="{{.RepoLink}}/settings/branches">
-					{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.settings.branches"}}
-				</a>
-			{{end}}
+			<a class="{{if .PageIsSettingsBranches}}active {{end}}item" href="{{.RepoLink}}/settings/branches">
+				{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.settings.branches"}}
+			</a>
 			<a class="{{if .PageIsSettingsTags}}active {{end}}item" href="{{.RepoLink}}/settings/tags">
 				{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.settings.tags"}}
 			</a>