diff --git a/project.py b/project.py
index 5ffa542..7811d6b 100755
--- a/project.py
+++ b/project.py
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ class DownloadedChange(object):
 
 class ReviewableBranch(object):
   _commit_cache = None
+  _base_exists = None
 
   def __init__(self, project, branch, base):
     self.project = project
@@ -147,14 +148,19 @@ class ReviewableBranch(object):
   @property
   def commits(self):
     if self._commit_cache is None:
-      self._commit_cache = self.project.bare_git.rev_list('--abbrev=8',
-                                                          '--abbrev-commit',
-                                                          '--pretty=oneline',
-                                                          '--reverse',
-                                                          '--date-order',
-                                                          not_rev(self.base),
-                                                          R_HEADS + self.name,
-                                                          '--')
+      args = ('--abbrev=8', '--abbrev-commit', '--pretty=oneline', '--reverse',
+              '--date-order', not_rev(self.base), R_HEADS + self.name, '--')
+      try:
+        self._commit_cache = self.project.bare_git.rev_list(*args)
+      except GitError:
+        # We weren't able to probe the commits for this branch.  Was it tracking
+        # a branch that no longer exists?  If so, return no commits.  Otherwise,
+        # rethrow the error as we don't know what's going on.
+        if self.base_exists:
+          raise
+
+        self._commit_cache = []
+
     return self._commit_cache
 
   @property
@@ -173,6 +179,23 @@ class ReviewableBranch(object):
                                      R_HEADS + self.name,
                                      '--')
 
+  @property
+  def base_exists(self):
+    """Whether the branch we're tracking exists.
+
+    Normally it should, but sometimes branches we track can get deleted.
+    """
+    if self._base_exists is None:
+      try:
+        self.project.bare_git.rev_parse('--verify', not_rev(self.base))
+        # If we're still here, the base branch exists.
+        self._base_exists = True
+      except GitError:
+        # If we failed to verify, the base branch doesn't exist.
+        self._base_exists = False
+
+    return self._base_exists
+
   def UploadForReview(self, people,
                       auto_topic=False,
                       draft=False,
diff --git a/subcmds/prune.py b/subcmds/prune.py
index dc8b8c9..ff2fba1 100644
--- a/subcmds/prune.py
+++ b/subcmds/prune.py
@@ -51,11 +51,16 @@ class Prune(PagedCommand):
         out.project('project %s/' % project.relpath)
         out.nl()
 
-      commits = branch.commits
-      date = branch.date
-      print('%s %-33s (%2d commit%s, %s)' % (
+      print('%s %-33s ' % (
             branch.name == project.CurrentBranch and '*' or ' ',
-            branch.name,
+            branch.name), end='')
+
+      if not branch.base_exists:
+        print('(ignoring: tracking branch is gone: %s)' % (branch.base,))
+      else:
+        commits = branch.commits
+        date = branch.date
+        print('(%2d commit%s, %s)' % (
             len(commits),
             len(commits) != 1 and 's' or ' ',
             date))
diff --git a/tests/test_project.py b/tests/test_project.py
index 9b289e1..77126df 100644
--- a/tests/test_project.py
+++ b/tests/test_project.py
@@ -18,11 +18,30 @@
 
 from __future__ import print_function
 
+import contextlib
+import os
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import tempfile
 import unittest
 
+import git_config
 import project
 
 
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def TempGitTree():
+  """Create a new empty git checkout for testing."""
+  # TODO(vapier): Convert this to tempfile.TemporaryDirectory once we drop
+  # Python 2 support entirely.
+  try:
+    tempdir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix='repo-tests')
+    subprocess.check_call(['git', 'init'], cwd=tempdir)
+    yield tempdir
+  finally:
+    shutil.rmtree(tempdir)
+
+
 class RepoHookShebang(unittest.TestCase):
   """Check shebang parsing in RepoHook."""
 
@@ -60,3 +79,58 @@ class RepoHookShebang(unittest.TestCase):
     for shebang, interp in DATA:
       self.assertEqual(project.RepoHook._ExtractInterpFromShebang(shebang),
                        interp)
+
+
+class FakeProject(object):
+  """A fake for Project for basic functionality."""
+
+  def __init__(self, worktree):
+    self.worktree = worktree
+    self.gitdir = os.path.join(worktree, '.git')
+    self.name = 'fakeproject'
+    self.work_git = project.Project._GitGetByExec(
+        self, bare=False, gitdir=self.gitdir)
+    self.bare_git = project.Project._GitGetByExec(
+        self, bare=True, gitdir=self.gitdir)
+    self.config = git_config.GitConfig.ForRepository(gitdir=self.gitdir)
+
+
+class ReviewableBranchTests(unittest.TestCase):
+  """Check ReviewableBranch behavior."""
+
+  def test_smoke(self):
+    """A quick run through everything."""
+    with TempGitTree() as tempdir:
+      fakeproj = FakeProject(tempdir)
+
+      # Generate some commits.
+      with open(os.path.join(tempdir, 'readme'), 'w') as fp:
+        fp.write('txt')
+      fakeproj.work_git.add('readme')
+      fakeproj.work_git.commit('-mAdd file')
+      fakeproj.work_git.checkout('-b', 'work')
+      fakeproj.work_git.rm('-f', 'readme')
+      fakeproj.work_git.commit('-mDel file')
+
+      # Start off with the normal details.
+      rb = project.ReviewableBranch(
+          fakeproj, fakeproj.config.GetBranch('work'), 'master')
+      self.assertEqual('work', rb.name)
+      self.assertEqual(1, len(rb.commits))
+      self.assertIn('Del file', rb.commits[0])
+      d = rb.unabbrev_commits
+      self.assertEqual(1, len(d))
+      short, long = next(iter(d.items()))
+      self.assertTrue(long.startswith(short))
+      self.assertTrue(rb.base_exists)
+      # Hard to assert anything useful about this.
+      self.assertTrue(rb.date)
+
+      # Now delete the tracking branch!
+      fakeproj.work_git.branch('-D', 'master')
+      rb = project.ReviewableBranch(
+          fakeproj, fakeproj.config.GetBranch('work'), 'master')
+      self.assertEqual(0, len(rb.commits))
+      self.assertFalse(rb.base_exists)
+      # Hard to assert anything useful about this.
+      self.assertTrue(rb.date)