diff --git a/hawtio-web/src/main/webapp/app/wiki/html/viewPage.html b/hawtio-web/src/main/webapp/app/wiki/html/viewPage.html
index 516830c864..6d2a9414f4 100644
--- a/hawtio-web/src/main/webapp/app/wiki/html/viewPage.html
+++ b/hawtio-web/src/main/webapp/app/wiki/html/viewPage.html
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   <div class="logbar" ng-controller="Wiki.NavBarController">
     <div class="wiki logbar-container">
       <ul class="nav nav-tabs">
-        <li ng-show="branches.length" class="dropdown">
+        <li ng-show="branches.length || branch" class="dropdown">
           <a href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown"
                   title="The branch to view">
             {{branch || 'branch'}}
diff --git a/hawtio-web/src/main/webapp/app/wiki/js/view.ts b/hawtio-web/src/main/webapp/app/wiki/js/view.ts
index 844167f1a0..6a2b546138 100644
--- a/hawtio-web/src/main/webapp/app/wiki/js/view.ts
+++ b/hawtio-web/src/main/webapp/app/wiki/js/view.ts
@@ -388,6 +388,10 @@ module Wiki {
 
     function onBranches(response) {
       $scope.branches = response;
+      // default the branch name if we have 'master'
+      if (!$scope.branch && $scope.branches.find("master")) {
+        $scope.branch = "master";
+      }
     }
 
     function onFormSchema(json) {