diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index dc8dbb6e166e21b3d4ebe0a5c030365a75a27b9c..8ccb586f6e81fd30e1a056cc4d8506241dcc1d3e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ v 8.12.0 (unreleased)
   - Avoid conflict with admin labels when importing GitHub labels
   - User can edit closed MR with deleted fork (Katarzyna Kobierska Ula Budziszewska) !5496
   - Fix repository page ui issues
+  - Avoid protected branches checks when verifying access without branch name
   - Add information about user and manual build start to runner as variables !6201 (Sergey Gnuskov)
   - Fixed invisible scroll controls on build page on iPhone
   - Fix error on raw build trace download for old builds stored in database !4822
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/checks/change_access.rb b/lib/gitlab/checks/change_access.rb
index 4b32eb966aa050c48c3afe1b6f83a276f0f372ad..cb1065223d4d65b9de3602a5dbc8df63a977137f 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/checks/change_access.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/checks/change_access.rb
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ module Gitlab
       protected
 
       def protected_branch_checks
+        return unless @branch_name
         return unless project.protected_branch?(@branch_name)
 
         if forced_push? && user_access.cannot_do_action?(:force_push_code_to_protected_branches)