diff --git a/sickbeard/__init__.py b/sickbeard/__init__.py
index 1984ac00f93bea96cf9e89234fac1dbaf7b4604b..f4e59ef596d95720e1c8bf98348ca5af670e804e 100755
--- a/sickbeard/__init__.py
+++ b/sickbeard/__init__.py
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ metadata_provider_dict = {}
 NEWEST_VERSION = None
 NEWEST_VERSION_STRING = None
 VERSION_NOTIFY = None
+GITHUB_BRANCH = 'master'
 
 INIT_LOCK = Lock()
 __INITIALIZED__ = False
@@ -400,7 +401,7 @@ def initialize(consoleLogging=True):
                 USE_GROWL, GROWL_HOST, GROWL_PASSWORD, USE_PROWL, PROWL_NOTIFY_ONSNATCH, PROWL_NOTIFY_ONDOWNLOAD, PROWL_API, PROWL_PRIORITY, PROG_DIR, NZBMATRIX, NZBMATRIX_USERNAME, \
                 USE_PYTIVO, PYTIVO_NOTIFY_ONSNATCH, PYTIVO_NOTIFY_ONDOWNLOAD, PYTIVO_UPDATE_LIBRARY, PYTIVO_HOST, PYTIVO_SHARE_NAME, PYTIVO_TIVO_NAME, \
                 USE_NMA, NMA_NOTIFY_ONSNATCH, NMA_NOTIFY_ONDOWNLOAD, NMA_API, NMA_PRIORITY, \
-                NZBMATRIX_APIKEY, versionCheckScheduler, VERSION_NOTIFY, PROCESS_AUTOMATICALLY, \
+                NZBMATRIX_APIKEY, versionCheckScheduler, VERSION_NOTIFY, GITHUB_BRANCH, PROCESS_AUTOMATICALLY, \
                 KEEP_PROCESSED_DIR, TV_DOWNLOAD_DIR, TVDB_BASE_URL, MIN_SEARCH_FREQUENCY, \
                 showQueueScheduler, searchQueueScheduler, ROOT_DIRS, \
                 NAMING_SHOW_NAME, NAMING_EP_TYPE, NAMING_MULTI_EP_TYPE, CACHE_DIR, ACTUAL_CACHE_DIR, TVDB_API_PARMS, \
@@ -503,6 +504,8 @@ def initialize(consoleLogging=True):
         QUALITY_DEFAULT = check_setting_int(CFG, 'General', 'quality_default', SD)
         STATUS_DEFAULT = check_setting_int(CFG, 'General', 'status_default', SKIPPED)
         VERSION_NOTIFY = check_setting_int(CFG, 'General', 'version_notify', 1)
+        GITHUB_BRANCH = check_setting_str(CFG, 'General', 'github_branch', 'master')
+        
         SEASON_FOLDERS_FORMAT = check_setting_str(CFG, 'General', 'season_folders_format', 'Season %02d')
         SEASON_FOLDERS_DEFAULT = bool(check_setting_int(CFG, 'General', 'season_folders_default', 0))
 
diff --git a/sickbeard/versionChecker.py b/sickbeard/versionChecker.py
index 7f81b6809f8718dd633471a0fc0377683e2f8b37..160af7b39e518e1e8ace81f0e58a92832b65e44e 100644
--- a/sickbeard/versionChecker.py
+++ b/sickbeard/versionChecker.py
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ class GitUpdateManager(UpdateManager):
         gh = github.GitHub()
 
         # find newest commit
-        for curCommit in gh.commits('midgetspy', 'Sick-Beard', version.SICKBEARD_VERSION):
+        for curCommit in gh.commits('midgetspy', 'Sick-Beard', version.SICKBEARD_VERSION, sickbeard.GITHUB_BRANCH):
             if not self._newest_commit_hash:
                 self._newest_commit_hash = curCommit['sha']
                 if not self._cur_commit_hash: