diff --git a/PHPCI/Model/Base/ProjectBase.php b/PHPCI/Model/Base/ProjectBase.php
index b56279b5..5e1f4f37 100644
--- a/PHPCI/Model/Base/ProjectBase.php
+++ b/PHPCI/Model/Base/ProjectBase.php
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class ProjectBase extends Model
         'id' => null,
         'title' => null,
         'reference' => null,
+        'branch' => null,
         'ssh_private_key' => null,
         'ssh_public_key' => null,
         'type' => null,
@@ -200,17 +201,15 @@ class ProjectBase extends Model
     }
 
     /**
-     * Get the value of Branch / branch.
-     *
-     * @return string
-     */
+    * Get the value of Branch / branch.
+    *
+    * @return string
+    */
     public function getBranch()
     {
-        if (empty($this->data['branch'])) {
-            return $this->getType() === 'hg' ? 'default' : 'master';
-        } else {
-            return $this->data['branch'];
-        }
+        $rtn    = $this->data['branch'];
+
+        return $rtn;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -365,6 +364,7 @@ class ProjectBase extends Model
     */
     public function setBranch($value)
     {
+        $this->_validateNotNull('Branch', $value);
         $this->_validateString('Branch', $value);
 
         if ($this->data['branch'] === $value) {
diff --git a/PHPCI/Model/Project.php b/PHPCI/Model/Project.php
index 55df01c5..9047de02 100644
--- a/PHPCI/Model/Project.php
+++ b/PHPCI/Model/Project.php
@@ -58,4 +58,18 @@ class Project extends ProjectBase
 
         return $rtn;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the value of Branch / branch.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getBranch()
+    {
+        if (empty($this->data['branch'])) {
+            return $this->getType() === 'hg' ? 'default' : 'master';
+        } else {
+            return $this->data['branch'];
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/PHPCI/Service/ProjectService.php b/PHPCI/Service/ProjectService.php
index 26954ddc..1ab24aae 100644
--- a/PHPCI/Service/ProjectService.php
+++ b/PHPCI/Service/ProjectService.php
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ class ProjectService
             $project->setAllowPublicStatus((int)$options['allow_public_status']);
         }
 
+        if (array_key_exists('branch', $options)) {
+            $project->setBranch($options['branch']);
+        }
+
         // Allow certain project types to set access information:
         $this->processAccessInformation($project);
 
diff --git a/Tests/PHPCI/Model/ProjectTest.php b/Tests/PHPCI/Model/ProjectTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..367eaa77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/PHPCI/Model/ProjectTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * PHPCI - Continuous Integration for PHP
+ *
+ * @copyright    Copyright 2014, Block 8 Limited.
+ * @license        https://github.com/Block8/PHPCI/blob/master/LICENSE.md
+ * @link            http://www.phptesting.org/
+ */
+
+namespace PHPCI\Model\Tests;
+
+use PHPCI\Model\Project;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for the ProjectService class.
+ * @author Dan Cryer <dan@block8.co.uk>
+ */
+class ProjectTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
+{
+    public function setUp()
+    {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @covers PHPUnit::execute
+     */
+    public function testExecute_TestGitDefaultBranch()
+    {
+        $project = new Project();
+        $project->setType('git');
+
+        $this->assertEquals('master', $project->getBranch());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @covers PHPUnit::execute
+     */
+    public function testExecute_TestGithubDefaultBranch()
+    {
+        $project = new Project();
+        $project->setType('github');
+
+        $this->assertEquals('master', $project->getBranch());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @covers PHPUnit::execute
+     */
+    public function testExecute_TestGitlabDefaultBranch()
+    {
+        $project = new Project();
+        $project->setType('gitlab');
+
+        $this->assertEquals('master', $project->getBranch());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @covers PHPUnit::execute
+     */
+    public function testExecute_TestBitbucketDefaultBranch()
+    {
+        $project = new Project();
+        $project->setType('bitbucket');
+
+        $this->assertEquals('master', $project->getBranch());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @covers PHPUnit::execute
+     */
+    public function testExecute_TestMercurialDefaultBranch()
+    {
+        $project = new Project();
+        $project->setType('hg');
+
+        $this->assertEquals('default', $project->getBranch());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Tests/PHPCI/Service/ProjectServiceTest.php b/Tests/PHPCI/Service/ProjectServiceTest.php
index 146eb97c..abb06d8f 100644
--- a/Tests/PHPCI/Service/ProjectServiceTest.php
+++ b/Tests/PHPCI/Service/ProjectServiceTest.php
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class ProjectServiceTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertEquals('Test Project', $returnValue->getTitle());
         $this->assertEquals('github', $returnValue->getType());
         $this->assertEquals('block8/phpci', $returnValue->getReference());
+        $this->assertEquals('master', $returnValue->getBranch());
     }
 
     /**
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ class ProjectServiceTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
             'ssh_public_key' => 'public',
             'allow_public_status' => 1,
             'build_config' => 'config',
+            'branch' => 'testbranch',
         );
 
         $returnValue = $this->testedService->createProject('Test Project', 'github', 'block8/phpci', $options);
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ class ProjectServiceTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertEquals('private', $returnValue->getSshPrivateKey());
         $this->assertEquals('public', $returnValue->getSshPublicKey());
         $this->assertEquals('config', $returnValue->getBuildConfig());
+        $this->assertEquals('testbranch', $returnValue->getBranch());
         $this->assertEquals(1, $returnValue->getAllowPublicStatus());
     }
 
diff --git a/phpunit.xml b/phpunit.xml
index 0e1d6810..78685417 100644
--- a/phpunit.xml
+++ b/phpunit.xml
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
         <testsuite name="PHPCI Plugin Test Suite">
             <directory suffix="Test.php">./Tests/PHPCI/Plugin</directory>
         </testsuite>
+        <testsuite name="PHPCI Model Test Suite">
+            <directory suffix="Test.php">./Tests/PHPCI/Model</directory>
+        </testsuite>
         <testsuite name="PHPCI Service Test Suite">
             <directory suffix="Test.php">./Tests/PHPCI/Service</directory>
         </testsuite>