diff --git a/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee b/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee
index 1f80bed79..52a8a396a 100644
--- a/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ $ = require 'jquery'
 {$$} = require 'space-pen'
 _ = require 'underscore'
 fs = require 'fs'
+Git = require 'git'
 
 describe "Editor", ->
   [buffer, editor, cachedLineHeight] = []
diff --git a/spec/spec-helper.coffee b/spec/spec-helper.coffee
index 7e197d483..910c8d238 100644
--- a/spec/spec-helper.coffee
+++ b/spec/spec-helper.coffee
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Editor = require 'editor'
 TokenizedBuffer = require 'tokenized-buffer'
 fs = require 'fs'
 RootView = require 'root-view'
+Git = require 'git'
 requireStylesheet "jasmine.css"
 fixturePackagesPath = require.resolve('fixtures/packages')
 require.paths.unshift(fixturePackagesPath)
@@ -31,6 +32,11 @@ beforeEach ->
   jQuery.fx.off = true
   window.fixturesProject = new Project(require.resolve('fixtures'))
   window.project = fixturesProject
+  window.git = Git.open(fixturesProject.getPath())
+  window.project.on 'path-changed', ->
+    window.git?.destroy()
+    window.git = Git.open(window.project.getPath())
+
   window.resetTimeouts()
   atom.atomPackageStates = {}
   atom.loadedPackages = []
@@ -72,6 +78,9 @@ afterEach ->
   if project?
     project.destroy()
     window.project = null
+  if git?
+    git.destroy()
+    window.git = null
   $('#jasmine-content').empty()
   ensureNoPathSubscriptions()
   waits(0) # yield to ui thread to make screen update more frequently
diff --git a/src/app/buffer.coffee b/src/app/buffer.coffee
index 0cf84f7a7..d5bdaf19c 100644
--- a/src/app/buffer.coffee
+++ b/src/app/buffer.coffee
@@ -419,12 +419,10 @@ class Buffer
         return match[0][0] != '\t'
     undefined
 
-  getRepo: -> @project?.repo
-
   checkoutHead: ->
     path = @getPath()
     return unless path
-    if @getRepo()?.checkoutHead(path)
+    if git?.checkoutHead(path)
       @trigger 'git-status-changed'
 
   scheduleStoppedChangingEvent: ->
diff --git a/src/app/project.coffee b/src/app/project.coffee
index 9b8aa380d..7aeb0757d 100644
--- a/src/app/project.coffee
+++ b/src/app/project.coffee
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ EditSession = require 'edit-session'
 EventEmitter = require 'event-emitter'
 Directory = require 'directory'
 ChildProcess = require 'child-process'
-Git = require 'git'
 
 module.exports =
 class Project
@@ -35,8 +34,6 @@ class Project
     grammarOverridesByPath: @grammarOverridesByPath
 
   destroy: ->
-    @repo?.destroy()
-    @repo = null
     editSession.destroy() for editSession in @getEditSessions()
 
   addGrammarOverrideForPath: (path, grammar) ->
@@ -60,10 +57,8 @@ class Project
     if path?
       directory = if fs.isDirectory(path) then path else fs.directory(path)
       @rootDirectory = new Directory(directory)
-      @repo = Git.open(path)
     else
       @rootDirectory = null
-      @repo = null
 
     @trigger "path-changed"
 
@@ -85,7 +80,7 @@ class Project
     @ignoreRepositoryPath(path)
 
   ignoreRepositoryPath: (path) ->
-    config.get("core.hideGitIgnoredFiles") and @repo?.isPathIgnored(fs.join(@getPath(), path))
+    config.get("core.hideGitIgnoredFiles") and git?.isPathIgnored(fs.join(@getPath(), path))
 
   resolve: (filePath) ->
     filePath = fs.join(@getPath(), filePath) unless filePath[0] == '/'
diff --git a/src/app/window.coffee b/src/app/window.coffee
index 29a87d712..cd10df014 100644
--- a/src/app/window.coffee
+++ b/src/app/window.coffee
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ window.handleWindowEvents = ->
 window.buildProjectAndRootView = ->
   RootView = require 'root-view'
   Project = require 'project'
+  Git = require 'git'
 
   pathToOpen = atom.getPathToOpen()
   windowState = atom.getRootViewStateForPath(pathToOpen) ? {}
@@ -102,6 +103,11 @@ window.buildProjectAndRootView = ->
 
   $(rootViewParentSelector).append(rootView)
 
+  window.git = Git.open(project.getPath())
+  project.on 'path-changed', ->
+    window.git?.destroy()
+    window.git = Git.open(project.getPath())
+
 window.stylesheetElementForId = (id) ->
   $("head style[id='#{id}']")
 
diff --git a/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/lib/fuzzy-finder-view.coffee b/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/lib/fuzzy-finder-view.coffee
index 32e663766..4330aad74 100644
--- a/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/lib/fuzzy-finder-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/lib/fuzzy-finder-view.coffee
@@ -40,12 +40,11 @@ class FuzzyFinderView extends SelectList
     $$ ->
       @li =>
         typeClass = null
-        repo = project.repo
-        if repo?
-          status = project.repo?.statuses[project.resolve(path)]
-          if repo.isStatusNew(status)
+        if git?
+          status = git.statuses[project.resolve(path)]
+          if git.isStatusNew(status)
             typeClass = 'new'
-          else if repo.isStatusModified(status)
+          else if git.isStatusModified(status)
             typeClass = 'modified'
 
         unless typeClass
diff --git a/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee b/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee
index a5eafb5b0..89251317b 100644
--- a/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ describe 'FuzzyFinder', ->
       it "displays the modified icon", ->
         editor.setText('modified')
         editor.save()
-        project.repo?.getPathStatus(editor.getPath())
+        git.getPathStatus(editor.getPath())
 
         rootView.trigger 'fuzzy-finder:toggle-buffer-finder'
         expect(finderView.find('.file.modified').length).toBe 1
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ describe 'FuzzyFinder', ->
     describe "when a new file is shown in the list", ->
       it "displays the new icon", ->
         rootView.open('newsample.js')
-        project.repo?.getPathStatus(editor.getPath())
+        git.getPathStatus(editor.getPath())
 
         rootView.trigger 'fuzzy-finder:toggle-buffer-finder'
         expect(finderView.find('.file.new').length).toBe 1
diff --git a/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee b/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee
index ffd51486b..717cabeaa 100644
--- a/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class StatusBarView extends View
     @branchArea.hide()
     return unless path
 
-    head = @buffer.getRepo()?.getShortHead() or ''
+    head = git?.getShortHead() or ''
     @branchLabel.text(head)
     @branchArea.show() if head
 
@@ -78,8 +78,7 @@ class StatusBarView extends View
     return unless path
 
     @gitStatusIcon.addClass('git-status octicons')
-    git = @buffer.getRepo()
-    return unless git
+    return unless git?
 
     status = git.getPathStatus(path)
     if git.isStatusModified(status)
diff --git a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/directory-view.coffee b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/directory-view.coffee
index 29bd8e767..bb1401399 100644
--- a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/directory-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/directory-view.coffee
@@ -22,22 +22,21 @@ class DirectoryView extends View
     @expand() if isExpanded
     @disclosureArrow.on 'click', => @toggleExpansion()
 
-    repo = @project.repo
     iconClass = 'directory-icon'
-    if repo?
+    if git?
       path = @directory.getPath()
       if parent
-        @directoryName.addClass('ignored') if repo.isPathIgnored(path)
-        iconClass = 'submodule-icon' if repo.isSubmodule(path)
+        @directoryName.addClass('ignored') if git.isPathIgnored(path)
+        iconClass = 'submodule-icon' if git.isSubmodule(path)
       else
-        iconClass = 'repository-icon' if path is repo.getWorkingDirectory()
+        iconClass = 'repository-icon' if path is git.getWorkingDirectory()
     @directoryName.addClass(iconClass)
 
   getPath: ->
     @directory.path
 
   isPathIgnored: (path) ->
-    config.get("core.hideGitIgnoredFiles") and @project.repo?.isPathIgnored(path)
+    config.get("core.hideGitIgnoredFiles") and git?.isPathIgnored(path)
 
   buildEntries: ->
     @unwatchDescendantEntries()
diff --git a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/file-view.coffee b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/file-view.coffee
index 0b29d9ee5..606398c79 100644
--- a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/file-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/file-view.coffee
@@ -34,17 +34,16 @@ class FileView extends View
 
   updateStatus: ->
     @removeClass('ignored modified new')
-    repo = @project.repo
-    return unless repo?
+    return unless git?
 
     path = @getPath()
-    if repo.isPathIgnored(path)
+    if git.isPathIgnored(path)
       @addClass('ignored')
     else
-      status = repo.getPathStatus(path)
-      if repo.isStatusModified(status)
+      status = git.getPathStatus(path)
+      if git.isStatusModified(status)
         @addClass('modified')
-      else if repo.isStatusNew(status)
+      else if git.isStatusNew(status)
         @addClass('new')
 
   getPath: ->