diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/changeset.py b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/changeset.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/changeset.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/changeset.py
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ from rhodecode.lib.vcs.exceptions import
 from rhodecode.lib.vcs.exceptions import ChangesetDoesNotExistError
 from rhodecode.lib.vcs.exceptions import ImproperArchiveTypeError
 from rhodecode.lib.vcs.backends.base import BaseChangeset
-from rhodecode.lib.vcs.nodes import FileNode, DirNode, NodeKind, RootNode, RemovedFileNode
+from rhodecode.lib.vcs.nodes import FileNode, DirNode, NodeKind, RootNode, \
+    RemovedFileNode, SubModuleNode
 from rhodecode.lib.vcs.utils import safe_unicode
 from rhodecode.lib.vcs.utils import date_fromtimestamp
 from rhodecode.lib.vcs.utils.lazy import LazyProperty
@@ -66,26 +67,12 @@ class GitChangeset(BaseChangeset):
 
     @LazyProperty
     def branch(self):
-        # TODO: Cache as we walk (id <-> branch name mapping)
-        refs = self.repository._repo.get_refs()
-        heads = {}
-        for key, val in refs.items():
-            for ref_key in ['refs/heads/', 'refs/remotes/origin/']:
-                if key.startswith(ref_key):
-                    n = key[len(ref_key):]
-                    if n not in ['HEAD']:
-                        heads[n] = val
+
+        heads = self.repository._heads(reverse=False)
 
-        for name, id in heads.iteritems():
-            walker = self.repository._repo.object_store.get_graph_walker([id])
-            while True:
-                id_ = walker.next()
-                if not id_:
-                    break
-                if id_ == self.id:
-                    return safe_unicode(name)
-        raise ChangesetError("This should not happen... Have you manually "
-                             "change id of the changeset?")
+        ref = heads.get(self.raw_id)
+        if ref:
+            return safe_unicode(ref)
 
     def _fix_path(self, path):
         """
@@ -144,7 +131,6 @@ class GitChangeset(BaseChangeset):
                         name = item
                     self._paths[name] = id
                     self._stat_modes[name] = stat
-
             if not path in self._paths:
                 raise NodeDoesNotExistError("There is no file nor directory "
                     "at the given path %r at revision %r"
@@ -344,7 +330,13 @@ class GitChangeset(BaseChangeset):
         tree = self.repository._repo[id]
         dirnodes = []
         filenodes = []
+        als = self.repository.alias
         for name, stat, id in tree.iteritems():
+            if objects.S_ISGITLINK(stat):
+                dirnodes.append(SubModuleNode(name, url=None, changeset=id,
+                                              alias=als))
+                continue
+
             obj = self.repository._repo.get_object(id)
             if path != '':
                 obj_path = '/'.join((path, name))
@@ -372,24 +364,31 @@ class GitChangeset(BaseChangeset):
         path = self._fix_path(path)
         if not path in self.nodes:
             try:
-                id = self._get_id_for_path(path)
+                id_ = self._get_id_for_path(path)
             except ChangesetError:
                 raise NodeDoesNotExistError("Cannot find one of parents' "
                     "directories for a given path: %s" % path)
-            obj = self.repository._repo.get_object(id)
-            if isinstance(obj, objects.Tree):
-                if path == '':
-                    node = RootNode(changeset=self)
+
+            als = self.repository.alias
+            _GL = lambda m: m and objects.S_ISGITLINK(m)
+            if _GL(self._stat_modes.get(path)):
+                node = SubModuleNode(path, url=None, changeset=id_, alias=als)
+            else:
+                obj = self.repository._repo.get_object(id_)
+
+                if isinstance(obj, objects.Tree):
+                    if path == '':
+                        node = RootNode(changeset=self)
+                    else:
+                        node = DirNode(path, changeset=self)
+                    node._tree = obj
+                elif isinstance(obj, objects.Blob):
+                    node = FileNode(path, changeset=self)
+                    node._blob = obj
                 else:
-                    node = DirNode(path, changeset=self)
-                node._tree = obj
-            elif isinstance(obj, objects.Blob):
-                node = FileNode(path, changeset=self)
-                node._blob = obj
-            else:
-                raise NodeDoesNotExistError("There is no file nor directory "
-                    "at the given path %r at revision %r"
-                    % (path, self.short_id))
+                    raise NodeDoesNotExistError("There is no file nor directory "
+                        "at the given path %r at revision %r"
+                        % (path, self.short_id))
             # cache node
             self.nodes[path] = node
         return self.nodes[path]
@@ -406,7 +405,7 @@ class GitChangeset(BaseChangeset):
     def _diff_name_status(self):
         output = []
         for parent in self.parents:
-            cmd = 'diff --name-status %s %s' % (parent.raw_id, self.raw_id)
+            cmd = 'diff --name-status %s %s --encoding=utf8' % (parent.raw_id, self.raw_id)
             so, se = self.repository.run_git_command(cmd)
             output.append(so.strip())
         return '\n'.join(output)
@@ -422,13 +421,15 @@ class GitChangeset(BaseChangeset):
         for line in self._diff_name_status.splitlines():
             if not line:
                 continue
+
             if line.startswith(char):
-                splitted = line.split(char,1)
+                splitted = line.split(char, 1)
                 if not len(splitted) == 2:
                     raise VCSError("Couldn't parse diff result:\n%s\n\n and "
                         "particularly that line: %s" % (self._diff_name_status,
                         line))
-                paths.add(splitted[1].strip())
+                _path = splitted[1].strip()
+                paths.add(_path)
         return sorted(paths)
 
     @LazyProperty