diff --git a/spec/spec-helper.coffee b/spec/spec-helper.coffee
index 21116ecb7..5403a486c 100644
--- a/spec/spec-helper.coffee
+++ b/spec/spec-helper.coffee
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ TokenizedBuffer = require 'tokenized-buffer'
 fsUtils = require 'fs-utils'
 pathwatcher = require 'pathwatcher'
 RootView = require 'root-view'
-Git = require 'git'
 clipboard = require 'clipboard'
 requireStylesheet "jasmine"
 fixturePackagesPath = fsUtils.resolveOnLoadPath('fixtures/packages')
@@ -36,10 +35,6 @@ jasmine.getEnv().defaultTimeoutInterval = 5000
 beforeEach ->
   jQuery.fx.off = true
   window.project = new Project(fsUtils.resolveOnLoadPath('fixtures'))
-  window.git = Git.open(project.getPath())
-  window.project.on 'path-changed', ->
-    window.git?.destroy()
-    window.git = Git.open(window.project.getPath())
 
   window.resetTimeouts()
   atom.windowMode = 'editor'
@@ -89,9 +84,6 @@ afterEach ->
   if project?
     project.destroy()
     window.project = null
-  if git?
-    git.destroy()
-    window.git = null
   $('#jasmine-content').empty() unless window.debugContent
   delete atom.windowState
   jasmine.unspy(atom, 'saveWindowState')
diff --git a/src/app/project.coffee b/src/app/project.coffee
index 8e37c942f..20cc3199a 100644
--- a/src/app/project.coffee
+++ b/src/app/project.coffee
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ class Project
   destroy: ->
     editSession.destroy() for editSession in @getEditSessions()
     buffer.release() for buffer in @getBuffers()
-    window.git?.destroy()
-    delete window.git
+    if @repo?
+      @repo.destroy()
+      @repo = null
 
   ### Public ###
 
@@ -93,6 +94,8 @@ class Project
 
   getState: -> @state
 
+  getRepo: -> @repo
+
   # Retrieves the project path.
   #
   # Returns a {String}.
@@ -108,13 +111,14 @@ class Project
     if projectPath?
       directory = if fsUtils.isDirectorySync(projectPath) then projectPath else path.dirname(projectPath)
       @rootDirectory = new Directory(directory)
-      window.git = Git.open(projectPath)
+      @repo = Git.open(projectPath)
     else
       @rootDirectory = null
-      window.git?.destroy()
-      delete window.git
+      if @repo?
+        @repo.destroy()
+        @repo = null
 
-    if originUrl = window.git?.getOriginUrl()
+    if originUrl = @repo?.getOriginUrl()
       @state.set('repoUrl', originUrl)
 
     @trigger "path-changed"
@@ -155,7 +159,7 @@ class Project
   #
   # Returns a {Boolean}.
   ignoreRepositoryPath: (repositoryPath) ->
-    config.get("core.hideGitIgnoredFiles") and git?.isPathIgnored(path.join(@getPath(), repositoryPath))
+    config.get("core.hideGitIgnoredFiles") and @repo?.isPathIgnored(path.join(@getPath(), repositoryPath))
 
   # Given a uri, this resolves it relative to the project directory. If the path
   # is already absolute or if it is prefixed with a scheme, it is returned unchanged.
diff --git a/src/app/text-buffer.coffee b/src/app/text-buffer.coffee
index d968b4736..6cda6dc10 100644
--- a/src/app/text-buffer.coffee
+++ b/src/app/text-buffer.coffee
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ class TextBuffer
   checkoutHead: ->
     path = @getPath()
     return unless path
-    git?.checkoutHead(path)
+    project.getRepo()?.checkoutHead(path)
 
   # Checks to see if a file exists.
   #
diff --git a/src/app/window.coffee b/src/app/window.coffee
index 3d9901f17..1c99e267b 100644
--- a/src/app/window.coffee
+++ b/src/app/window.coffee
@@ -86,11 +86,9 @@ window.unloadEditorWindow = ->
   atom.saveWindowState()
   rootView.remove()
   project.destroy()
-  git?.destroy()
   windowEventHandler?.unsubscribe()
   window.rootView = null
   window.project = null
-  window.git = null
 
 window.installAtomCommand = (callback) ->
   commandPath = path.join(window.resourcePath, 'atom.sh')
@@ -116,7 +114,6 @@ window.onDrop = (e) ->
 window.deserializeEditorWindow = ->
   RootView = require 'root-view'
   Project = require 'project'
-  Git = require 'git'
 
   windowState = atom.getWindowState()
 
diff --git a/src/packages/collaboration/lib/guest-session.coffee b/src/packages/collaboration/lib/guest-session.coffee
index 06ff88bf1..199068c53 100644
--- a/src/packages/collaboration/lib/guest-session.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/collaboration/lib/guest-session.coffee
@@ -64,5 +64,5 @@ class GuestSession
       @trigger 'started'
 
       id = @getId()
-      email = git.getConfigValue('user.email')
+      email = project.getRepo().getConfigValue('user.email')
       @participants.push {id, email}
diff --git a/src/packages/collaboration/lib/host-session.coffee b/src/packages/collaboration/lib/host-session.coffee
index 50b7cb973..ee4b8bd6a 100644
--- a/src/packages/collaboration/lib/host-session.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/collaboration/lib/host-session.coffee
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ class HostSession
         host: {description: '', candidate: ''}
         participants: []
         repositoryState:
-          url: git.getConfigValue('remote.origin.url')
-          branch: git.getShortHead()
+          url: project.getRepo().getConfigValue('remote.origin.url')
+          branch: project.getRepo().getShortHead()
 
     host = @doc.get('collaborationState.host')
     guest = @doc.get('collaborationState.guest')
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class HostSession
       @participants = @doc.get('collaborationState.participants')
       @participants.push
         id: @getId()
-        email: git.getConfigValue('user.email')
+        email: project.getRepo().getConfigValue('user.email')
 
       @participants.on 'changed', =>
         @trigger 'participants-changed', @participants.toObject()
diff --git a/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/lib/fuzzy-finder-view.coffee b/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/lib/fuzzy-finder-view.coffee
index 0421cf9e9..6d908f364 100644
--- a/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/lib/fuzzy-finder-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/lib/fuzzy-finder-view.coffee
@@ -45,11 +45,12 @@ class FuzzyFinderView extends SelectList
   itemForElement: ({filePath, projectRelativePath}) ->
     $$ ->
       @li class: 'two-lines', =>
-        if git?
-          status = git.statuses[filePath]
-          if git.isStatusNew(status)
+        repo = project.getRepo()
+        if repo?
+          status = repo.statuses[filePath]
+          if repo.isStatusNew(status)
             @div class: 'status new'
-          else if git.isStatusModified(status)
+          else if repo.isStatusModified(status)
             @div class: 'status modified'
 
         ext = path.extname(filePath)
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ class FuzzyFinderView extends SelectList
     if @hasParent()
       @cancel()
     else
-      return unless project.getPath()? and git?
+      return unless project.getPath()? and project.getRepo()
       @allowActiveEditorChange = false
       @populateGitStatusPaths()
       @attach()
@@ -197,7 +198,7 @@ class FuzzyFinderView extends SelectList
 
   populateGitStatusPaths: ->
     paths = []
-    paths.push(filePath) for filePath, status of git.statuses when fsUtils.isFileSync(filePath)
+    paths.push(filePath) for filePath, status of project.getRepo().statuses when fsUtils.isFileSync(filePath)
 
     @setArray(paths)
 
diff --git a/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee b/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee
index c918bc3d2..71e6968b2 100644
--- a/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee
@@ -242,11 +242,11 @@ describe 'FuzzyFinder', ->
       originalText = editor.getText()
       originalPath = editor.getPath()
       fsUtils.writeSync(originalPath, 'making a change for the better')
-      git.getPathStatus(originalPath)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(originalPath)
 
       newPath = project.resolve('newsample.js')
       fsUtils.writeSync(newPath, '')
-      git.getPathStatus(newPath)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(newPath)
 
     afterEach ->
       fsUtils.writeSync(originalPath, originalText)
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ describe 'FuzzyFinder', ->
       it "displays the modified icon", ->
         editor.setText('modified')
         editor.activeEditSession.save()
-        git.getPathStatus(editor.getPath())
+        project.getRepo().getPathStatus(editor.getPath())
 
         rootView.trigger 'fuzzy-finder:toggle-buffer-finder'
         expect(finderView.find('.status.modified').length).toBe 1
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ describe 'FuzzyFinder', ->
     describe "when a new file is shown in the list", ->
       it "displays the new icon", ->
         rootView.open('newsample.js')
-        git.getPathStatus(editor.getPath())
+        project.getRepo().getPathStatus(editor.getPath())
 
         rootView.trigger 'fuzzy-finder:toggle-buffer-finder'
         expect(finderView.find('.status.new').length).toBe 1
diff --git a/src/packages/git-diff/lib/git-diff-view.coffee b/src/packages/git-diff/lib/git-diff-view.coffee
index f4fe50089..9c99cd98a 100644
--- a/src/packages/git-diff/lib/git-diff-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/git-diff/lib/git-diff-view.coffee
@@ -3,27 +3,24 @@ Subscriber = require 'subscriber'
 
 module.exports =
 class GitDiffView
-  diffs: null
-  editor: null
-
   constructor: (@editor) ->
     @gutter = @editor.gutter
     @diffs = {}
 
     @subscribe @editor, 'editor:path-changed', @subscribeToBuffer
     @subscribe @editor, 'editor:display-updated', @renderDiffs
-    @subscribe git, 'statuses-changed', =>
+    @subscribe project.getRepo(), 'statuses-changed', =>
       @diffs = {}
       @scheduleUpdate()
-    @subscribe git, 'status-changed', (path) =>
+    @subscribe project.getRepo(), 'status-changed', (path) =>
       delete @diffs[path]
       @scheduleUpdate() if path is @editor.getPath()
 
     @subscribeToBuffer()
 
-  beforeRemove: ->
-    @unsubscribe()
-    @unsubscribeFromBuffer()
+    @subscribe @editor, 'editor:will-be-removed', =>
+      @unsubscribe()
+      @unsubscribeFromBuffer()
 
   unsubscribeFromBuffer: ->
     if @buffer?
@@ -43,12 +40,13 @@ class GitDiffView
     _.nextTick(@updateDiffs)
 
   updateDiffs: =>
+    return unless @buffer?
     @generateDiffs()
     @renderDiffs()
 
   generateDiffs: ->
     if path = @buffer.getPath()
-      @diffs[path] = git?.getLineDiffs(path, @buffer.getText())
+      @diffs[path] = project.getRepo()?.getLineDiffs(path, @buffer.getText())
 
   removeDiffs: =>
     if @gutter.hasGitLineDiffs
diff --git a/src/packages/git-diff/lib/git-diff.coffee b/src/packages/git-diff/lib/git-diff.coffee
index ce1372a46..c63619481 100644
--- a/src/packages/git-diff/lib/git-diff.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/git-diff/lib/git-diff.coffee
@@ -2,7 +2,5 @@ GitDiffView = require './git-diff-view'
 
 module.exports =
   activate: ->
-    return unless git?
-
     rootView.eachEditor (editor) =>
-      new GitDiffView(editor) if git? and editor.attached and editor.getPane()?
+      new GitDiffView(editor) if project.getRepo()? and editor.attached and editor.getPane()?
diff --git a/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee b/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee
index d9b38da02..458bf60f6 100644
--- a/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee
@@ -34,10 +34,11 @@ class StatusBarView extends View
     @subscribe @grammarName, 'click', => @pane.activeView.trigger 'grammar-selector:show'
     @subscribe @pane, 'editor:grammar-changed', => @updateGrammarText()
 
-    if git?
-      @subscribe git, 'status-changed', (path, status) =>
+    repo = project.getRepo()
+    if repo?
+      @subscribe repo, 'status-changed', (path, status) =>
         @updateStatusBar() if path is @getActiveItemPath()
-      @subscribe git, 'statuses-changed', @updateStatusBar
+      @subscribe repo, 'statuses-changed', @updateStatusBar
 
     @subscribeToBuffer()
 
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ class StatusBarView extends View
     @branchArea.hide()
     return unless project.contains(@getActiveItemPath())
 
-    head = git?.getShortHead() or ''
+    head = project.getRepo()?.getShortHead() or ''
     @branchLabel.text(head)
     @branchArea.show() if head
 
@@ -97,22 +98,23 @@ class StatusBarView extends View
     return unless project.contains(itemPath)
 
     @gitStatusIcon.addClass('git-status octicons')
-    return unless git?
+    repo = project.getRepo()
+    return unless repo?
 
-    if git.upstream.ahead > 0
-      @commitsAhead.text(git.upstream.ahead).show()
+    if repo.upstream.ahead > 0
+      @commitsAhead.text(repo.upstream.ahead).show()
     else
       @commitsAhead.hide()
 
-    if git.upstream.behind > 0
-      @commitsBehind.text(git.upstream.behind).show()
+    if repo.upstream.behind > 0
+      @commitsBehind.text(repo.upstream.behind).show()
     else
       @commitsBehind.hide()
 
-    status = git.statuses[itemPath]
-    if git.isStatusModified(status)
+    status = repo.statuses[itemPath]
+    if repo.isStatusModified(status)
       @gitStatusIcon.addClass('modified-status-icon')
-      stats = git.getDiffStats(itemPath)
+      stats = repo.getDiffStats(itemPath)
       if stats.added and stats.deleted
         @gitStatusIcon.text("+#{stats.added},-#{stats.deleted}")
       else if stats.added
@@ -121,13 +123,13 @@ class StatusBarView extends View
         @gitStatusIcon.text("-#{stats.deleted}")
       else
         @gitStatusIcon.text('')
-    else if git.isStatusNew(status)
+    else if repo.isStatusNew(status)
       @gitStatusIcon.addClass('new-status-icon')
       if @buffer?
         @gitStatusIcon.text("+#{@buffer.getLineCount()}")
       else
         @gitStatusIcon.text('')
-    else if git.isPathIgnored(itemPath)
+    else if repo.isPathIgnored(itemPath)
       @gitStatusIcon.addClass('ignored-status-icon')
       @gitStatusIcon.text('')
 
diff --git a/src/packages/status-bar/spec/status-bar-spec.coffee b/src/packages/status-bar/spec/status-bar-spec.coffee
index 0cf8ec25a..f09bd0812 100644
--- a/src/packages/status-bar/spec/status-bar-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/status-bar/spec/status-bar-spec.coffee
@@ -138,8 +138,8 @@ describe "StatusBar", ->
       fsUtils.writeSync(newPath, "I'm new here")
       ignoredPath = path.join(fsUtils.resolveOnLoadPath('fixtures/git/working-dir'), 'ignored.txt')
       fsUtils.writeSync(ignoredPath, 'ignored.txt')
-      git.getPathStatus(filePath)
-      git.getPathStatus(newPath)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(filePath)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(newPath)
       originalPathText = fsUtils.read(filePath)
       rootView.attachToDom()
 
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ describe "StatusBar", ->
 
     it "displays the modified icon for a changed file", ->
       fsUtils.writeSync(filePath, "i've changed for the worse")
-      git.getPathStatus(filePath)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(filePath)
       rootView.open(filePath)
       expect(statusBar.gitStatusIcon).toHaveClass('modified-status-icon')
 
@@ -168,16 +168,16 @@ describe "StatusBar", ->
 
     it "updates when a status-changed event occurs", ->
       fsUtils.writeSync(filePath, "i've changed for the worse")
-      git.getPathStatus(filePath)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(filePath)
       rootView.open(filePath)
       expect(statusBar.gitStatusIcon).toHaveClass('modified-status-icon')
       fsUtils.writeSync(filePath, originalPathText)
-      git.getPathStatus(filePath)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(filePath)
       expect(statusBar.gitStatusIcon).not.toHaveClass('modified-status-icon')
 
     it "displays the diff stat for modified files", ->
       fsUtils.writeSync(filePath, "i've changed for the worse")
-      git.getPathStatus(filePath)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(filePath)
       rootView.open(filePath)
       expect(statusBar.gitStatusIcon).toHaveText('+1,-1')
 
diff --git a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/directory-view.coffee b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/directory-view.coffee
index b5bc7f1b9..f3184afaf 100644
--- a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/directory-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/directory-view.coffee
@@ -23,15 +23,16 @@ class DirectoryView extends View
     @disclosureArrow.on 'click', => @toggleExpansion()
 
     iconClass = 'directory-icon'
-    if git?
+    repo = project.getRepo()
+    if repo?
       path = @directory.getPath()
       if parent
-        if git.isSubmodule(path)
+        if repo.isSubmodule(path)
           iconClass = 'submodule-icon'
         else
-          @subscribe git, 'status-changed', (path, status) =>
+          @subscribe repo, 'status-changed', (path, status) =>
             @updateStatus() if path.indexOf("#{@getPath()}/") is 0
-          @subscribe git, 'statuses-changed', =>
+          @subscribe repo, 'statuses-changed', =>
             @updateStatus()
           @updateStatus()
       else
@@ -42,13 +43,14 @@ class DirectoryView extends View
   updateStatus: ->
     @removeClass('ignored modified new')
     path = @directory.getPath()
-    if git.isPathIgnored(path)
+    repo = project.getRepo()
+    if repo.isPathIgnored(path)
       @addClass('ignored')
     else
-      status = git.getDirectoryStatus(path)
-      if git.isStatusModified(status)
+      status = repo.getDirectoryStatus(path)
+      if repo.isStatusModified(status)
         @addClass('modified')
-      else if git.isStatusNew(status)
+      else if repo.isStatusNew(status)
         @addClass('new')
 
   getPath: ->
@@ -56,12 +58,13 @@ class DirectoryView extends View
 
   isRepositoryRoot: ->
     try
-      git? and git.getWorkingDirectory() is fs.realpathSync(@getPath())
+      repo = project.getRepo()
+      repo? and repo.getWorkingDirectory() is fs.realpathSync(@getPath())
     catch e
       false
 
   isPathIgnored: (path) ->
-    config.get("core.hideGitIgnoredFiles") and git?.isPathIgnored(path)
+    config.get("core.hideGitIgnoredFiles") and project.getRepo()?.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 4be9320a7..37443457b 100644
--- a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/file-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/file-view.coffee
@@ -31,26 +31,28 @@ class FileView extends View
       else
         @fileName.addClass('text-icon')
 
-    if git?
-      @subscribe git, 'status-changed', (changedPath, status) =>
+    repo = project.getRepo()
+    if repo?
+      @subscribe repo, 'status-changed', (changedPath, status) =>
         @updateStatus() if changedPath is @getPath()
-      @subscribe git, 'statuses-changed', =>
+      @subscribe repo, 'statuses-changed', =>
         @updateStatus()
 
     @updateStatus()
 
   updateStatus: ->
     @removeClass('ignored modified new')
-    return unless git?
+    repo = project.getRepo()
+    return unless repo?
 
     filePath = @getPath()
-    if git.isPathIgnored(filePath)
+    if repo.isPathIgnored(filePath)
       @addClass('ignored')
     else
-      status = git.statuses[filePath]
-      if git.isStatusModified(status)
+      status = repo.statuses[filePath]
+      if repo.isStatusModified(status)
         @addClass('modified')
-      else if git.isStatusNew(status)
+      else if repo.isStatusNew(status)
         @addClass('new')
 
   getPath: ->
diff --git a/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee b/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee
index c5d64ace0..e22b58206 100644
--- a/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee
@@ -935,16 +935,16 @@ describe "TreeView", ->
       config.set "core.hideGitIgnoredFiles", false
       ignoreFile = path.join(fsUtils.resolveOnLoadPath('fixtures/tree-view'), '.gitignore')
       fsUtils.writeSync(ignoreFile, 'tree-view.js')
-      git.getPathStatus(ignoreFile)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(ignoreFile)
 
       newFile = path.join(fsUtils.resolveOnLoadPath('fixtures/tree-view/dir2'), 'new2')
       fsUtils.writeSync(newFile, '')
-      git.getPathStatus(newFile)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(newFile)
 
       modifiedFile = path.join(fsUtils.resolveOnLoadPath('fixtures/tree-view/dir1'), 'file1')
       originalFileContent = fsUtils.read(modifiedFile)
       fsUtils.writeSync modifiedFile, 'ch ch changes'
-      git.getPathStatus(modifiedFile)
+      project.getRepo().getPathStatus(modifiedFile)
 
       treeView.updateRoot()
       treeView.root.entries.find('.directory:contains(dir2)').view().expand()