diff --git a/scm-it/src/test/java/sonia/scm/it/RepositoryAccessITCase.java b/scm-it/src/test/java/sonia/scm/it/RepositoryAccessITCase.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a461e40dea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scm-it/src/test/java/sonia/scm/it/RepositoryAccessITCase.java
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+package sonia.scm.it;
+
+import org.apache.http.HttpStatus;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Rule;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.rules.TemporaryFolder;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.junit.runners.Parameterized;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Collection;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assume.assumeFalse;
+import static sonia.scm.it.RestUtil.given;
+import static sonia.scm.it.ScmTypes.availableScmTypes;
+
+@RunWith(Parameterized.class)
+public class RepositoryAccessITCase {
+
+  @Rule
+  public TemporaryFolder tempFolder = new TemporaryFolder();
+
+  private final String repositoryType;
+  private RepositoryUtil repositoryUtil;
+
+  public RepositoryAccessITCase(String repositoryType) {
+    this.repositoryType = repositoryType;
+  }
+
+  @Parameterized.Parameters(name = "{0}")
+  public static Collection<String> createParameters() {
+    return availableScmTypes();
+  }
+
+  @Before
+  public void initClient() throws IOException {
+    TestData.createDefault();
+    repositoryUtil = new RepositoryUtil(repositoryType, tempFolder.getRoot());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldFindBranches() throws IOException {
+    assumeFalse("There are no branches for SVN", repositoryType.equals("svn"));
+
+    repositoryUtil.createAndCommitFile("a.txt", "a");
+
+    String branchesUrl = given()
+      .when()
+      .get(TestData.getDefaultRepositoryUrl(repositoryType))
+      .then()
+      .statusCode(HttpStatus.SC_OK)
+      .extract()
+      .path("_links.branches.href");
+
+    Object branchName = given()
+      .when()
+      .get(branchesUrl)
+      .then()
+      .statusCode(HttpStatus.SC_OK)
+      .extract()
+      .path("_embedded.branches[0].name");
+
+    assertNotNull(branchName);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/scm-it/src/test/java/sonia/scm/it/RepositoryUtil.java b/scm-it/src/test/java/sonia/scm/it/RepositoryUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..98d4c8cdab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scm-it/src/test/java/sonia/scm/it/RepositoryUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package sonia.scm.it;
+
+import com.google.common.base.Charsets;
+import com.google.common.io.Files;
+import org.apache.http.HttpStatus;
+import sonia.scm.repository.Changeset;
+import sonia.scm.repository.Person;
+import sonia.scm.repository.client.api.ClientCommand;
+import sonia.scm.repository.client.api.RepositoryClient;
+import sonia.scm.repository.client.api.RepositoryClientFactory;
+import sonia.scm.web.VndMediaType;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+import static sonia.scm.it.RestUtil.ADMIN_PASSWORD;
+import static sonia.scm.it.RestUtil.ADMIN_USERNAME;
+import static sonia.scm.it.RestUtil.given;
+
+public class RepositoryUtil {
+
+  private static final RepositoryClientFactory REPOSITORY_CLIENT_FACTORY = new RepositoryClientFactory();
+
+  private final RepositoryClient repositoryClient;
+  private final File folder;
+
+  RepositoryUtil(String repositoryType, File folder) throws IOException {
+    this.repositoryClient = createRepositoryClient(repositoryType, folder);
+    this.folder = folder;
+  }
+
+  static RepositoryClient createRepositoryClient(String repositoryType, File folder) throws IOException {
+    String httpProtocolUrl = given(VndMediaType.REPOSITORY)
+
+      .when()
+      .get(TestData.getDefaultRepositoryUrl(repositoryType))
+
+      .then()
+      .statusCode(HttpStatus.SC_OK)
+      .extract()
+      .path("_links.httpProtocol.href");
+
+
+    return REPOSITORY_CLIENT_FACTORY.create(repositoryType, httpProtocolUrl, ADMIN_USERNAME, ADMIN_PASSWORD, folder);
+  }
+
+  void createAndCommitFile(String fileName, String content) throws IOException {
+    Files.write(content, new File(folder, fileName), Charsets.UTF_8);
+    repositoryClient.getAddCommand().add(fileName);
+    commit("added " + fileName);
+  }
+
+  Changeset commit(String message) throws IOException {
+    Changeset changeset = repositoryClient.getCommitCommand().commit(
+      new Person("scmadmin", "scmadmin@scm-manager.org"), message
+    );
+    if (repositoryClient.isCommandSupported(ClientCommand.PUSH)) {
+      repositoryClient.getPushCommand().push();
+    }
+    return changeset;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/scm-it/src/test/java/sonia/scm/it/RestUtil.java b/scm-it/src/test/java/sonia/scm/it/RestUtil.java
index 1458ab6d0b..76d2461637 100644
--- a/scm-it/src/test/java/sonia/scm/it/RestUtil.java
+++ b/scm-it/src/test/java/sonia/scm/it/RestUtil.java
@@ -16,10 +16,18 @@ public class RestUtil {
     return REST_BASE_URL.resolve(path);
   }
 
+  public static final String ADMIN_USERNAME = "scmadmin";
+  public static final String ADMIN_PASSWORD = "scmadmin";
+
   public static RequestSpecification given(String mediaType) {
     return RestAssured.given()
       .contentType(mediaType)
       .accept(mediaType)
-      .auth().preemptive().basic("scmadmin", "scmadmin");
+      .auth().preemptive().basic(ADMIN_USERNAME, ADMIN_PASSWORD);
+  }
+
+  public static RequestSpecification given() {
+    return RestAssured.given()
+      .auth().preemptive().basic(ADMIN_USERNAME, ADMIN_PASSWORD);
   }
 }