diff --git a/services/github/github-commit-activity.service.js b/services/github/github-commit-activity.service.js
index 39af8a2f12..ca270a19cf 100644
--- a/services/github/github-commit-activity.service.js
+++ b/services/github/github-commit-activity.service.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const schema = Joi.object({
         history: Joi.object({
           totalCount: nonNegativeInteger,
         }).required(),
-      }),
+      }).allow(null),
     }).required(),
   }).required(),
 }).required()
diff --git a/services/github/github-commit-activity.tester.js b/services/github/github-commit-activity.tester.js
index 0bc8a7ef13..bf99826fc5 100644
--- a/services/github/github-commit-activity.tester.js
+++ b/services/github/github-commit-activity.tester.js
@@ -52,3 +52,10 @@ t.create('commit activity (repo not found)')
     label: 'commit activity',
     message: 'repo not found',
   })
+
+t.create('commit activity (invalid branch)')
+  .get('/w/badges/shields/invalidBranchName.json')
+  .expectBadge({
+    label: 'commit activity',
+    message: 'invalid branch',
+  })