diff --git a/app/models/repository.rb b/app/models/repository.rb
index 10635eb0cf47489b3b2888e624bc92db99b0db3d..35dd120856d1f54b31152058332ccd533023c73a 100644
--- a/app/models/repository.rb
+++ b/app/models/repository.rb
@@ -182,16 +182,6 @@ class Repository
     tags.find { |tag| tag.name == name }
   end
 
-  def find_ref(ref)
-    if Gitlab::Git.tag_ref?(ref)
-      find_tag(Gitlab::Git.ref_name(ref))
-    elsif Gitlab::Git.branch_ref?(ref)
-      find_branch(Gitlab::Git.ref_name(ref))
-    else
-      nil
-    end
-  end
-
   def add_branch(user, branch_name, ref)
     branch = raw_repository.add_branch(branch_name, user: user, target: ref)
 
diff --git a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
index 6f9fdcf4482beb0ba4ce4fbde1bda813429fd4ae..f09b4b670619675820064853eca5879da172126f 100644
--- a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
@@ -1699,42 +1699,6 @@ describe Repository do
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#find_ref' do
-    subject { repository.find_ref(ref) }
-
-    context 'when ref is a tag' do
-      let(:ref) { 'refs/tags/v1.0.0' }
-
-      it 'returns a tag' do
-        is_expected.to be_a(Gitlab::Git::Tag)
-      end
-
-      it 'returns the correct tag' do
-        expect(subject.name).to eq('v1.0.0')
-      end
-    end
-
-    context 'when ref is a branch' do
-      let(:ref) { 'refs/heads/master' }
-
-      it 'returns a branch' do
-        is_expected.to be_a(Gitlab::Git::Branch)
-      end
-
-      it 'returns the correct branch' do
-        expect(subject.name).to eq('master')
-      end
-    end
-
-    context 'when ref is invalid' do
-      let(:ref) { 'refs/notvalid/ref' }
-
-      it 'returns nil' do
-        is_expected.to eq(nil)
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
   describe '#avatar' do
     it 'returns nil if repo does not exist' do
       allow(repository).to receive(:root_ref).and_raise(Gitlab::Git::Repository::NoRepository)