diff --git a/kallithea/lib/hooks.py b/kallithea/lib/hooks.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/hooks.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/hooks.py
@@ -447,11 +447,11 @@ def handle_git_post_receive(repo_path, g
                     cmd = ['for-each-ref', '--format=%(refname)', 'refs/heads/*']
                     stdout, stderr = scm_repo.run_git_command(cmd)
                     ref = push_ref['ref']
-                    heads = [head if head != ref else '' for head in stdout.splitlines()]
+                    heads = [head for head in stdout.splitlines() if head != ref]
                     # now list the git revs while excluding from the list
                     cmd = ['log', push_ref['new_rev'], '--reverse', '--pretty=format:%H']
                     cmd.append('--not')
-                    cmd.extend(heads)
+                    cmd.extend(heads) # empty list is ok
                     stdout, stderr = scm_repo.run_git_command(cmd)
                     git_revs += stdout.splitlines()
 
diff --git a/kallithea/tests/other/test_vcs_operations.py b/kallithea/tests/other/test_vcs_operations.py
--- a/kallithea/tests/other/test_vcs_operations.py
+++ b/kallithea/tests/other/test_vcs_operations.py
@@ -290,20 +290,20 @@ class TestVCSOperations(TestController):
         # refs/heads/master we are pushing, but the `git log` in the push hook
         # should still list the 3 commits.
         stdout, stderr = _add_files_and_push(webserver, 'git', local_clone_dir, clone_url=clone_url)
-        # FIXME: the push kind of failed with something like:
-        # remote: fatal: ambiguous argument '': unknown revision or path not in the working tree.
-        assert 'remote: fatal' in stderr
+        _check_proper_git_push(stdout, stderr)
 
         # Verify that we got the right events in UserLog. Expect something like:
         # <UserLog('id:new_git_XXX:started_following_repo')>
         # <UserLog('id:new_git_XXX:user_created_repo')>
         # <UserLog('id:new_git_XXX:pull')>
-        # - but no push logging
+        # <UserLog('id:new_git_XXX:push:aed9d4c1732a1927da3be42c47eb9afdc200d427,d38b083a07af10a9f44193486959a96a23db78da,4841ff9a2b385bec995f4679ef649adb3f437622')>
         uls = list(UserLog.query().order_by(UserLog.user_log_id))
-        assert len(uls) == 3
+        assert len(uls) == 4
         assert uls[0].action == 'started_following_repo'
         assert uls[1].action == 'user_created_repo'
         assert uls[2].action == 'pull'
+        assert uls[3].action.startswith(u'push:')
+        assert uls[3].action.count(',') == 2 # expect 3 commits
 
     def test_push_new_file_hg(self, webserver, testfork):
         dest_dir = _get_tmp_dir()