diff --git a/modules/migrations/base/repo.go b/modules/migrations/base/repo.go
index 5cfb0de920d..d2052da90d2 100644
--- a/modules/migrations/base/repo.go
+++ b/modules/migrations/base/repo.go
@@ -7,13 +7,14 @@ package base
 
 // Repository defines a standard repository information
 type Repository struct {
-	Name         string
-	Owner        string
-	IsPrivate    bool
-	IsMirror     bool
-	Description  string
-	AuthUsername string
-	AuthPassword string
-	CloneURL     string
-	OriginalURL  string
+	Name          string
+	Owner         string
+	IsPrivate     bool
+	IsMirror      bool
+	Description   string
+	AuthUsername  string
+	AuthPassword  string
+	CloneURL      string
+	OriginalURL   string
+	DefaultBranch string
 }
diff --git a/modules/migrations/gitea.go b/modules/migrations/gitea.go
index b70ad7b0ce0..d4ba66fd389 100644
--- a/modules/migrations/gitea.go
+++ b/modules/migrations/gitea.go
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ func (g *GiteaLocalUploader) CreateRepo(repo *base.Repository, opts base.Migrate
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	r.DefaultBranch = repo.DefaultBranch
 
 	r, err = repository.MigrateRepositoryGitData(g.doer, owner, r, base.MigrateOptions{
 		RepoName:       g.repoName,
diff --git a/modules/migrations/github.go b/modules/migrations/github.go
index e5cc3b82235..d31db136e61 100644
--- a/modules/migrations/github.go
+++ b/modules/migrations/github.go
@@ -143,14 +143,20 @@ func (g *GithubDownloaderV3) GetRepoInfo() (*base.Repository, error) {
 	}
 	g.rate = &resp.Rate
 
+	defaultBranch := ""
+	if gr.DefaultBranch != nil {
+		defaultBranch = *gr.DefaultBranch
+	}
+
 	// convert github repo to stand Repo
 	return &base.Repository{
-		Owner:       g.repoOwner,
-		Name:        gr.GetName(),
-		IsPrivate:   *gr.Private,
-		Description: gr.GetDescription(),
-		OriginalURL: gr.GetHTMLURL(),
-		CloneURL:    gr.GetCloneURL(),
+		Owner:         g.repoOwner,
+		Name:          gr.GetName(),
+		IsPrivate:     *gr.Private,
+		Description:   gr.GetDescription(),
+		OriginalURL:   gr.GetHTMLURL(),
+		CloneURL:      gr.GetCloneURL(),
+		DefaultBranch: defaultBranch,
 	}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/migrations/github_test.go b/modules/migrations/github_test.go
index 660e82d6457..955050107c0 100644
--- a/modules/migrations/github_test.go
+++ b/modules/migrations/github_test.go
@@ -72,11 +72,12 @@ func TestGitHubDownloadRepo(t *testing.T) {
 	repo, err := downloader.GetRepoInfo()
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.EqualValues(t, &base.Repository{
-		Name:        "test_repo",
-		Owner:       "go-gitea",
-		Description: "Test repository for testing migration from github to gitea",
-		CloneURL:    "https://github.com/go-gitea/test_repo.git",
-		OriginalURL: "https://github.com/go-gitea/test_repo",
+		Name:          "test_repo",
+		Owner:         "go-gitea",
+		Description:   "Test repository for testing migration from github to gitea",
+		CloneURL:      "https://github.com/go-gitea/test_repo.git",
+		OriginalURL:   "https://github.com/go-gitea/test_repo",
+		DefaultBranch: "master",
 	}, repo)
 
 	topics, err := downloader.GetTopics()
diff --git a/modules/migrations/gitlab.go b/modules/migrations/gitlab.go
index 13d2618030d..e6529af9de3 100644
--- a/modules/migrations/gitlab.go
+++ b/modules/migrations/gitlab.go
@@ -139,12 +139,13 @@ func (g *GitlabDownloader) GetRepoInfo() (*base.Repository, error) {
 
 	// convert gitlab repo to stand Repo
 	return &base.Repository{
-		Owner:       owner,
-		Name:        gr.Name,
-		IsPrivate:   private,
-		Description: gr.Description,
-		OriginalURL: gr.WebURL,
-		CloneURL:    gr.HTTPURLToRepo,
+		Owner:         owner,
+		Name:          gr.Name,
+		IsPrivate:     private,
+		Description:   gr.Description,
+		OriginalURL:   gr.WebURL,
+		CloneURL:      gr.HTTPURLToRepo,
+		DefaultBranch: gr.DefaultBranch,
 	}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/migrations/gitlab_test.go b/modules/migrations/gitlab_test.go
index 936201b1f25..11c3aefeaf8 100644
--- a/modules/migrations/gitlab_test.go
+++ b/modules/migrations/gitlab_test.go
@@ -37,11 +37,12 @@ func TestGitlabDownloadRepo(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	// Repo Owner is blank in Gitlab Group repos
 	assert.EqualValues(t, &base.Repository{
-		Name:        "test_repo",
-		Owner:       "",
-		Description: "Test repository for testing migration from gitlab to gitea",
-		CloneURL:    "https://gitlab.com/gitea/test_repo.git",
-		OriginalURL: "https://gitlab.com/gitea/test_repo",
+		Name:          "test_repo",
+		Owner:         "",
+		Description:   "Test repository for testing migration from gitlab to gitea",
+		CloneURL:      "https://gitlab.com/gitea/test_repo.git",
+		OriginalURL:   "https://gitlab.com/gitea/test_repo",
+		DefaultBranch: "master",
 	}, repo)
 
 	topics, err := downloader.GetTopics()
diff --git a/modules/repository/repo.go b/modules/repository/repo.go
index 36e9ed49c16..b18dfddd2e5 100644
--- a/modules/repository/repo.go
+++ b/modules/repository/repo.go
@@ -102,18 +102,22 @@ func MigrateRepositoryGitData(doer, u *models.User, repo *models.Repository, opt
 		return repo, fmt.Errorf("git.IsEmpty: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if !opts.Releases && !repo.IsEmpty {
-		// Try to get HEAD branch and set it as default branch.
-		headBranch, err := gitRepo.GetHEADBranch()
-		if err != nil {
-			return repo, fmt.Errorf("GetHEADBranch: %v", err)
-		}
-		if headBranch != nil {
-			repo.DefaultBranch = headBranch.Name
+	if !repo.IsEmpty {
+		if len(repo.DefaultBranch) == 0 {
+			// Try to get HEAD branch and set it as default branch.
+			headBranch, err := gitRepo.GetHEADBranch()
+			if err != nil {
+				return repo, fmt.Errorf("GetHEADBranch: %v", err)
+			}
+			if headBranch != nil {
+				repo.DefaultBranch = headBranch.Name
+			}
 		}
 
-		if err = SyncReleasesWithTags(repo, gitRepo); err != nil {
-			log.Error("Failed to synchronize tags to releases for repository: %v", err)
+		if !opts.Releases {
+			if err = SyncReleasesWithTags(repo, gitRepo); err != nil {
+				log.Error("Failed to synchronize tags to releases for repository: %v", err)
+			}
 		}
 	}