diff --git a/src/main/groovy/org/ajoberstar/gradle/git/release/semver/NearestVersionLocator.groovy b/src/main/groovy/org/ajoberstar/gradle/git/release/semver/NearestVersionLocator.groovy
index 9565fcc..c8c2a8a 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/org/ajoberstar/gradle/git/release/semver/NearestVersionLocator.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/org/ajoberstar/gradle/git/release/semver/NearestVersionLocator.groovy
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import com.github.zafarkhaja.semver.Version
 
 import org.ajoberstar.grgit.Commit
 import org.ajoberstar.grgit.Grgit
-import org.ajoberstar.grgit.exception.GrgitException
 
 import org.slf4j.Logger
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory
@@ -74,14 +73,7 @@ class NearestVersionLocator {
 	 */
 	NearestVersion locate(Grgit grgit) {
 		logger.debug('Locate beginning on branch: {}', grgit.branch.current.fullName)
-
-		Commit head
-		try {
-			head = grgit.head()
-		} catch (GrgitException e) {
-			head = null
-		}
-
+		Commit head = grgit.head()
 		List versionTags = grgit.tag.list().inject([]) { list, tag ->
 			Version version = TagUtil.parseAsVersion(tag)
 			logger.debug('Tag {} ({}) parsed as {} version.', tag.name, tag.commit.abbreviatedId, version)
@@ -121,25 +113,10 @@ class NearestVersionLocator {
 			a.distance <=> b.distance ?: (a.version <=> b.version) * -1
 		}
 
-		Version anyVersion
-		int distanceFromAny
-		if (any) {
-			anyVersion = any.version
-			distanceFromAny = any.distance
-		} else {
-			anyVersion = Version.valueOf('0.0.0')
-			distanceFromAny = head ? grgit.log(includes: [head.id]).size() : 0
-		}
-
-		Version normalVersion
-		int distanceFromNormal
-		if (normal) {
-			normalVersion = normal.version
-			distanceFromNormal = normal.distance
-		} else {
-			normalVersion = Version.valueOf('0.0.0')
-			distanceFromNormal = head ? grgit.log(includes: [head.id]).size() : 0
-		}
+		Version anyVersion = any ? any.version : Version.valueOf('0.0.0')
+		Version normalVersion = normal ? normal.version : Version.valueOf('0.0.0')
+		int distanceFromAny = any ? any.distance : grgit.log(includes: [head.id]).size()
+		int distanceFromNormal = normal ? normal.distance : grgit.log(includes: [head.id]).size()
 
 		return new NearestVersion(anyVersion, normalVersion, distanceFromAny, distanceFromNormal)
 	}
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/org/ajoberstar/gradle/git/release/semver/NearestVersionLocatorSpec.groovy b/src/test/groovy/org/ajoberstar/gradle/git/release/semver/NearestVersionLocatorSpec.groovy
index d3b25b0..5148b3d 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/org/ajoberstar/gradle/git/release/semver/NearestVersionLocatorSpec.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/org/ajoberstar/gradle/git/release/semver/NearestVersionLocatorSpec.groovy
@@ -116,17 +116,6 @@ class NearestVersionLocatorSpec extends Specification {
 		'unreachable' | '0.0.0'            | '0.0.0'                     | 2
 	}
 
-	def 'locator returns 0.0.0 when no commits'() {
-		given:
-		repoDir = Files.createTempDirectory('empty-repo').toFile()
-		grgit = Grgit.init(dir: repoDir)
-		expect:
-		def nearest = new NearestVersionLocator().locate(grgit)
-		nearest.any == Version.valueOf('0.0.0')
-		nearest.normal == Version.valueOf('0.0.0')
-		nearest.distanceFromNormal == 0
-	}
-
 	private void commit() {
 		byte[] bytes = new byte[128]
 		random.nextBytes(bytes)