diff --git a/bin/gollum b/bin/gollum
index 5ce8ce7e..e45deff7 100755
--- a/bin/gollum
+++ b/bin/gollum
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ opts = OptionParser.new do |opts|
   opts.on("--page-file-dir [PATH]", "Specify the sub directory for all page files (default: repository root).") do |path|
     wiki_options[:page_file_dir] = path
   end
+
+  opts.on("--ref [REF]", "Specify the repository ref to use (default: master).") do |ref|
+    wiki_options[:ref] = ref
+  end
 end
 
 # Read command line options into `options` hash
diff --git a/lib/gollum/committer.rb b/lib/gollum/committer.rb
index a8b73673..04baa314 100644
--- a/lib/gollum/committer.rb
+++ b/lib/gollum/committer.rb
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ module Gollum
     # Returns an array of Grit::Commit instances.
     def parents
       @parents ||= begin
-        arr = [@options[:parent] || @wiki.repo.commit('master')]
+        arr = [@options[:parent] || @wiki.repo.commit(@wiki.ref)]
         arr.flatten!
         arr.compact!
         arr
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ module Gollum
     #
     # Returns the String SHA1 of the new commit.
     def commit
-      sha1 = index.commit(@options[:message], parents, actor)
+      sha1 = index.commit(@options[:message], parents, actor, nil, @wiki.ref)
       @callbacks.each do |cb|
         cb.call(self, sha1)
       end
@@ -214,4 +214,4 @@ module Gollum
       index.send(name, *args)
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/gollum/page.rb b/lib/gollum/page.rb
index be6cc10e..1db0b83f 100644
--- a/lib/gollum/page.rb
+++ b/lib/gollum/page.rb
@@ -199,10 +199,10 @@ module Gollum
         options[:pretty] = 'raw'
         options.delete :max_count
         options.delete :skip
-        log = @wiki.repo.git.native "log", options, "master", "--", @path
+        log = @wiki.repo.git.native "log", options, @wiki.ref, "--", @path
         Grit::Commit.list_from_string(@wiki.repo, log)
       else
-        @wiki.repo.log('master', @path, log_pagination_options(options))
+        @wiki.repo.log(@wiki.ref, @path, log_pagination_options(options))
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/gollum/wiki.rb b/lib/gollum/wiki.rb
index 742f8375..8f042c5b 100644
--- a/lib/gollum/wiki.rb
+++ b/lib/gollum/wiki.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ module Gollum
       # Sets the markup class used by all instances of this Wiki.
       attr_writer :markup_class
 
+      # Sets the default ref for the wiki.
+      attr_accessor :default_ref
+
       # Sets the default name for commits.
       attr_accessor :default_committer_name
 
@@ -80,6 +83,7 @@ module Gollum
       end
     end
 
+    self.default_ref = 'master'
     self.default_committer_name  = 'Anonymous'
     self.default_committer_email = 'anon@anon.com'
 
@@ -94,6 +98,9 @@ module Gollum
     # Gets the sanitization options for older page revisions used by this Wiki.
     attr_reader :history_sanitization
 
+    # Gets the String ref in which all page files reside.
+    attr_reader :ref
+
     # Gets the String directory in which all page files reside.
     attr_reader :page_file_dir
 
@@ -109,6 +116,7 @@ module Gollum
     #           :markup_class  - The markup Class. Default: Gollum::Markup
     #           :sanitization  - An instance of Sanitization.
     #           :page_file_dir - String the directory in which all page files reside
+    #           :ref - String the repository ref to retrieve pages from
     #
     # Returns a fresh Gollum::Repo.
     def initialize(path, options = {})
@@ -124,6 +132,7 @@ module Gollum
       @file_class    = options[:file_class]   || self.class.file_class
       @markup_class  = options[:markup_class] || self.class.markup_class
       @repo          = @access.repo
+      @ref           = options[:ref] || self.class.default_ref
       @sanitization  = options[:sanitization] || self.class.sanitization
       @history_sanitization = options[:history_sanitization] ||
         self.class.history_sanitization
@@ -139,20 +148,20 @@ module Gollum
     # Public: Get the formatted page for a given page name.
     #
     # name    - The human or canonical String page name of the wiki page.
-    # version - The String version ID to find (default: "master").
+    # version - The String version ID to find (default: @ref).
     #
     # Returns a Gollum::Page or nil if no matching page was found.
-    def page(name, version = 'master')
+    def page(name, version = @ref)
       @page_class.new(self).find(name, version)
     end
 
     # Public: Get the static file for a given name.
     #
     # name    - The full String pathname to the file.
-    # version - The String version ID to find (default: "master").
+    # version - The String version ID to find (default: @ref).
     #
     # Returns a Gollum::File or nil if no matching file was found.
-    def file(name, version = 'master')
+    def file(name, version = @ref)
       @file_class.new(self).find(name, version)
     end
 
@@ -290,7 +299,7 @@ module Gollum
       else
         Committer.new(self, commit)
       end
-      
+
       committer.delete(page.path)
 
       committer.after_commit do |index, sha|
@@ -381,11 +390,11 @@ module Gollum
 
     # Public: Lists all pages for this wiki.
     #
-    # treeish - The String commit ID or ref to find  (default: master)
+    # treeish - The String commit ID or ref to find  (default:  @ref)
     #
     # Returns an Array of Gollum::Page instances.
     def pages(treeish = nil)
-      tree_list(treeish || 'master')
+      tree_list(treeish || @ref)
     end
 
     # Public: Returns the number of pages accessible from a commit
@@ -394,7 +403,7 @@ module Gollum
     #
     # Returns a Fixnum
     def size(ref = nil)
-      tree_map_for(ref || 'master').inject(0) do |num, entry|
+      tree_map_for(ref || @ref).inject(0) do |num, entry|
         num + (@page_class.valid_page_name?(entry.name) ? 1 : 0)
       end
     rescue Grit::GitRuby::Repository::NoSuchShaFound
@@ -407,7 +416,7 @@ module Gollum
     #
     # Returns an Array with Objects of page name and count of matches
     def search(query)
-      args = [{}, '-i', '-c', query, 'master', '--']
+      args = [{}, '-i', '-c', query, @ref, '--']
       args << '--' << @page_file_dir if @page_file_dir
 
       @repo.git.grep(*args).split("\n").map! do |line|
@@ -429,7 +438,7 @@ module Gollum
     #
     # Returns an Array of Grit::Commit.
     def log(options = {})
-      @repo.log('master', nil, log_pagination_options(options))
+      @repo.log(@ref, nil, log_pagination_options(options))
     end
 
     # Public: Refreshes just the cached Git reference data.  This should
diff --git a/test/test_committer.rb b/test/test_committer.rb
index 7a9b59c2..5b605843 100644
--- a/test/test_committer.rb
+++ b/test/test_committer.rb
@@ -48,4 +48,17 @@ context "Wiki" do
       FileUtils.rm_rf(@path)
     end
   end
+
+  test "parents with default master ref" do
+    ref = 'a8ad3c09dd842a3517085bfadd37718856dee813'
+    committer = Gollum::Committer.new(@wiki)
+    assert_equal ref,  committer.parents.first.sha
+  end
+
+  test "parents with custom ref" do
+    ref = '60f12f4254f58801b9ee7db7bca5fa8aeefaa56b'
+    @wiki = Gollum::Wiki.new(testpath("examples/lotr.git"), :ref => ref)
+    committer = Gollum::Committer.new(@wiki)
+    assert_equal ref,  committer.parents.first.sha
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/test_wiki.rb b/test/test_wiki.rb
index 4ac9aa4e..e34cc542 100644
--- a/test/test_wiki.rb
+++ b/test/test_wiki.rb
@@ -301,3 +301,38 @@ context "page_file_dir option" do
     FileUtils.rm_r(@path)
   end
 end
+
+context "Wiki page writing with different branch" do
+  setup do
+    @path = testpath("examples/test.git")
+    FileUtils.rm_rf(@path)
+    @repo = Grit::Repo.init_bare(@path)
+    @wiki = Gollum::Wiki.new(@path)
+
+    # We need an initial commit to create the master branch
+    # before we can create new branches
+    cd = commit_details
+    @wiki.write_page("Gollum", :markdown, "# Gollum", cd)
+
+    # Create our test branch and check it out
+    @repo.update_ref("test", @repo.commits.first.id)
+    @branch = Gollum::Wiki.new(@path, :ref => "test")
+  end
+
+  teardown do
+    FileUtils.rm_rf(@path)
+  end
+
+  test "write_page" do
+    cd = commit_details
+
+    @branch.write_page("Bilbo", :markdown, "# Bilbo", commit_details)
+    assert @branch.page("Bilbo")
+    assert @wiki.page("Gollum")
+
+    assert_equal 1, @wiki.repo.commits.size
+    assert_equal 1, @branch.repo.commits.size
+
+    assert_equal nil, @wiki.page("Bilbo")
+  end
+end