diff --git a/readthedocs/settings/test.py b/readthedocs/settings/test.py
index f49dc8584b1..398f8664b7e 100644
--- a/readthedocs/settings/test.py
+++ b/readthedocs/settings/test.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ class CommunityTestSettings(CommunityDevSettings):
 
     DEBUG = False
     TEMPLATE_DEBUG = False
+    LOCAL_GIT_BRANCHES = True
 
     @property
     def LOGGING(self):  # noqa - avoid pep8 N802
diff --git a/readthedocs/vcs_support/backends/git.py b/readthedocs/vcs_support/backends/git.py
index 32e711a7e7d..8da10bb4617 100644
--- a/readthedocs/vcs_support/backends/git.py
+++ b/readthedocs/vcs_support/backends/git.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import git
 from builtins import str
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
+from django.conf import settings
 from git.exc import BadName
 
 from readthedocs.config import ALL
@@ -177,12 +178,13 @@ def tags(self):
     def branches(self):
         repo = git.Repo(self.working_dir)
         versions = []
+        branches = []
 
-        # ``repo.branches`` returns local branches and
-        branches = repo.branches
         # ``repo.remotes.origin.refs`` returns remote branches
         if repo.remotes:
             branches += repo.remotes.origin.refs
+        if getattr(settings, 'LOCAL_GIT_BRANCHES', False):
+            branches += repo.branches
 
         for branch in branches:
             verbose_name = branch.name