diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/AbstractPushForReview.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/AbstractPushForReview.java
index 1d21cad114..e65d51e29c 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/AbstractPushForReview.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/AbstractPushForReview.java
@@ -201,6 +201,18 @@ public abstract class AbstractPushForReview extends AbstractDaemonTest {
     assertThat(cr.all.get(0).value.intValue()).is(2);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testPushNewPatchsetToRefsChanges() throws GitAPIException,
+    IOException, OrmException {
+    PushOneCommit.Result r = pushTo("refs/for/master");
+    r.assertOkStatus();
+    PushOneCommit push =
+        pushFactory.create(db, admin.getIdent(), PushOneCommit.SUBJECT,
+            "b.txt", "anotherContent", r.getChangeId());
+    r = push.to(git, "refs/changes/" + r.getChange().change().getId().get());
+    r.assertOkStatus();
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testPushForMasterWithApprovals_MissingLabel() throws GitAPIException,
       IOException {
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
index cc2919d58b..81833fe715 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
@@ -2041,7 +2041,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
         @Override
         public PatchSet.Id call() throws OrmException, IOException, NoSuchChangeException {
           try {
-            if (magicBranch.edit) {
+            if (magicBranch != null && magicBranch.edit) {
               return upsertEdit();
             } else if (caller == Thread.currentThread()) {
               return insertPatchSet(db);