diff --git a/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/github/ApiGateway.java b/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/github/ApiGateway.java
index 2fbc796..3b684c1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/github/ApiGateway.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/github/ApiGateway.java
@@ -84,15 +84,21 @@ public class ApiGateway {
 		if (this.logger.isDebugEnabled())
 			this.logger.debug("Received response from " + method + ": " + response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode());
 		
-		InputStream istream = response.getEntity().getContent();
-		try {
-			Response responseObject = this.omapper.readerFor(responseType).readValue(istream);
-			responseObject.setHttpStatusCode(response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode());
-			responseObject.setHttpStatusReason(response.getStatusLine().getReasonPhrase());
-			return responseObject;
-		} finally {
-			istream.close();
+		Response responseObject = null;
+		if (response.getEntity() != null) {
+			InputStream istream = response.getEntity().getContent();
+			try {
+				responseObject = this.omapper.readerFor(responseType).readValue(istream);
+			} finally {
+				istream.close();
+			}
+		} else {
+			responseObject = this.omapper.readerFor(responseType).readValue("{}");
 		}
+
+		responseObject.setHttpStatusCode(response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode());
+		responseObject.setHttpStatusReason(response.getStatusLine().getReasonPhrase());
+		return responseObject;
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/github/model/DeleteReference.java b/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/github/model/DeleteReference.java
index c4fe628..2a599b6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/github/model/DeleteReference.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/github/model/DeleteReference.java
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ public class DeleteReference {
 		return "/repos/" + repoName + "/" + httpPath + "/" + ref;
 	}
 	
-	public static String httpPath = "git/refs";
+	public static String constructRequestPathByBranch(String repoName, String branchName) {
+		return constructRequestPath(repoName, "refs/heads/" + branchName);
+	}
+	
+	public static String httpPath = "git";
 
 }