diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index f31b5e8..4605cb9 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -17,20 +17,14 @@ pub struct ConfigFile {
 
 impl fmt::Display for ConfigFile {
   fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
-    let branches_list = match &self.config.branches {
-      None => String::from("All branches"),
-      Some(vec) => {
-        let mut out = String::from("[");
-        for i in 0..vec.len() {
-          out = format!("{}{}", out, vec[i]);
-          if i < vec.len() - 1 {
-            out.push_str(", ");
-          }
-        }
-        out.push(']');
-        out
+    let mut branches_list = String::from("[");
+    for i in 0..self.config.branches.len() {
+      branches_list = format!("{}{}", branches_list, &self.config.branches[i]);
+      if i < self.config.branches.len() - 1 {
+        branches_list.push_str(", ");
       }
-    };
+    }
+    branches_list.push(']');
 
     let mut to_list = String::from("[");
     for i in 0..self.config.to.len() {
@@ -88,7 +82,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for ConfigFile {
 pub struct Config {
   pub from: String,
   pub to: Vec<String>,
-  pub branches: Option<Vec<String>>,
+  pub branches: Vec<String>,
   pub work_dir: Option<String>,
   pub git: Git,
   pub schedule: Schedule
diff --git a/src/refractr.rs b/src/refractr.rs
index cdf4eae..152011c 100644
--- a/src/refractr.rs
+++ b/src/refractr.rs
@@ -35,53 +35,25 @@ impl Refractr {
     work_dir.to_string_lossy().to_string()
   }
 
-  fn get_branches(&self, repo: &Repository, branches: &Option<Vec<String>>, refs: bool) -> Vec<String> {
-    match branches {
-      Some(repo_branches) => {
-        if refs {
-          let mut refs_branches = Vec::new();
-          for branch in repo_branches {
-            refs_branches.push(format!("refs/heads/{}", branch));
-          }
-          refs_branches
-        } else {
-          repo_branches.to_vec()
-        }
-      },
-      None => {
-        let mut strings = Vec::new();
-        let remote_branches = match repo.branches(Some(git2::BranchType::Remote)) {
-          Ok(b) => b,
-          Err(e) => panic!("refractr: failed to get branches: {}", e)
-        };
-        for branch in remote_branches {
-          if let Ok((b, _)) = branch {
-            if let Ok(Some(name)) = b.name() {
-              if refs {
-                strings.push(format!("refs/heads/{}", name.to_string()))
-              } else {
-                strings.push(name.to_string());
-              }
-            }
-          }
-        }
-        strings
-      }
+  fn get_refs(&self, branches: &Vec<String>) -> Vec<String> {
+    let mut refs_branches = Vec::new();
+    for branch in branches {
+      refs_branches.push(format!("refs/heads/{}", branch));
     }
+    refs_branches
   }
 
-  fn fast_forward(&self, repo_dir: &str, branches: &Option<Vec<String>>) -> Result<(), Error> {
+  fn fast_forward(&self, repo_dir: &str, branches: &Vec<String>) -> Result<(), Error> {
     let repo = Repository::open(repo_dir)?;
-    let branch_list: Vec<String> = self.get_branches(&repo, branches, false);
 
     common::verbose(self.verbose, 2, format!("Pulling origin"));
-    repo.find_remote("origin")?.fetch(&branch_list, None, None)?;
+    repo.find_remote("origin")?.fetch(&branches, None, None)?;
 
     let fetch_head = repo.find_reference("FETCH_HEAD")?;
     let fetch_commit = repo.reference_to_annotated_commit(&fetch_head)?;
     let analysis = repo.merge_analysis(&[&fetch_commit])?;
     if analysis.0.is_fast_forward() {
-      for branch in branch_list {
+      for branch in branches {
         let refname = format!("refs/heads/{}", branch);
         let mut reference = repo.find_reference(&refname)?;
         reference.set_target(fetch_commit.id(), "Fast-forward")?;
@@ -129,14 +101,15 @@ impl Refractr {
         for i in cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec() {
           sha256.push_str(&hex::encode(i.to_string()));
         }
-        eprintln!("warning: trusting unknown host {} with sha256 host key {}", url, hex::encode(cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec()));
+        eprintln!("refractr: warning: implicitly trusting unknown host {} with sha256 host key {}", url, hex::encode(cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec()));
+        eprintln!("refractr: warning: to ignore this error in the future, add this host to your known_hosts file");
         Ok(CertificateCheckStatus::CertificateOk)
       });
       let mut push_options = PushOptions::new();
       push_options.remote_callbacks(callbacks);
 
       let mut refs = Vec::new();
-      let strings = self.get_branches(&repo, &cfg.branches, true);
+      let strings = self.get_refs(&cfg.branches);
       for branch in &strings {
         refs.push(branch.as_str());
       }