diff --git a/pkg/gui/branches_panel.go b/pkg/gui/branches_panel.go
index 61b8f1a2f..b56f189ce 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/branches_panel.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/branches_panel.go
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (gui *Gui) handleBranchPress(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
-	index := gui.getItemPosition(v)
+	index := gui.getItemPosition(gui.getBranchesView(g))
 	if index == 0 {
 		return gui.createErrorPanel(g, gui.Tr.SLocalize("AlreadyCheckedOutBranch"))
 	}
-	branch := gui.getSelectedBranch(v)
+	branch := gui.getSelectedBranch(gui.getBranchesView(g))
 	if err := gui.GitCommand.Checkout(branch.Name, false); err != nil {
 		gui.createErrorPanel(g, err.Error())
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go b/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go
index 4cab2de08..5f2630204 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ func (gui *Gui) renderOptionsMap(g *gocui.Gui, optionsMap map[string]string) err
 }
 
 // TODO: refactor properly
+// i'm so sorry but had to add this getBranchesView
 func (gui *Gui) getFilesView(g *gocui.Gui) *gocui.View {
 	v, _ := g.View("files")
 	return v
@@ -263,6 +264,11 @@ func (gui *Gui) getCommitMessageView(g *gocui.Gui) *gocui.View {
 	return v
 }
 
+func (gui *Gui) getBranchesView(g *gocui.Gui) *gocui.View {
+	v, _ := g.View("branches")
+	return v
+}
+
 func (gui *Gui) trimmedContent(v *gocui.View) string {
 	return strings.TrimSpace(v.Buffer())
 }