diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui.go b/pkg/gui/gui.go
index e9c321949..d928413e7 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui.go
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ func (gui *Gui) Run() error {
 		go utils.Safe(gui.startBackgroundFetch)
 	}
 
-	gui.goEvery(time.Millisecond*50, gui.stopChan, gui.refreshFilesAndSubmodules)
+	gui.goEvery(time.Second*10, gui.stopChan, gui.refreshFilesAndSubmodules)
 
 	g.SetManager(gocui.ManagerFunc(gui.layout), gocui.ManagerFunc(gui.getFocusLayout()))
 
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ func (gui *Gui) startBackgroundFetch() {
 			prompt: gui.Tr.NoAutomaticGitFetchBody,
 		})
 	} else {
-		gui.goEvery(time.Millisecond*50, gui.stopChan, func() error {
+		gui.goEvery(time.Second*60, gui.stopChan, func() error {
 			err := gui.fetch(false)
 			return err
 		})
diff --git a/pkg/gui/remotes_panel.go b/pkg/gui/remotes_panel.go
index 9d1450003..f3c984d78 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/remotes_panel.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/remotes_panel.go
@@ -58,7 +58,12 @@ func (gui *Gui) refreshRemotes() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return gui.postRefreshUpdate(gui.mustContextForContextKey(gui.getBranchesView().Context))
+	branchesView := gui.getBranchesView()
+	if branchesView != nil {
+		return gui.postRefreshUpdate(gui.mustContextForContextKey(branchesView.Context))
+	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (gui *Gui) handleRemoteEnter() error {