diff --git a/src/main/java/net/kemitix/gitdb/GitDBBranch.java b/src/main/java/net/kemitix/gitdb/GitDBBranch.java
index 5f890f7..b879d3b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/kemitix/gitdb/GitDBBranch.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/kemitix/gitdb/GitDBBranch.java
@@ -23,13 +23,14 @@ package net.kemitix.gitdb;
 
 import lombok.AccessLevel;
 import lombok.RequiredArgsConstructor;
-import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.AnyObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Ref;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Repository;
 
 import java.io.*;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.function.Function;
 
 /**
  * API for interacting with a branch in a GirDB.
@@ -45,22 +46,29 @@ public class GitDBBranch {
     private final String userName;
     private final String userEmailAddress;
 
-    /**
-     * Create a new instance of GitDBBranch for the Ref.
-     *
-     * @param ref              the Ref
-     * @param gitDBRepo        the GitDBRepo
-     * @param userName         the user name
-     * @param userEmailAddress the user email address
-     * @return a GitDBBranch
-     */
-    public static GitDBBranch withRef(
-            final Ref ref,
+    private static GitDBBranch select(
+            final Ref branchRef,
             final GitDBRepo gitDBRepo,
             final String userName,
             final String userEmailAddress
     ) {
-        return new GitDBBranch(ref, gitDBRepo, userName, userEmailAddress);
+        return new GitDBBranch(branchRef, gitDBRepo, userName, userEmailAddress);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Initialise the creation of new GitDBBranch instances.
+     *
+     * @param repository the Git Repository
+     * @param userName the user name to record against changes
+     * @param userEmailAddress the user's email address to record against changes
+     * @return a Function for creating a GitDBBranch when supplied with a Ref for a branch
+     */
+    static Function<Ref, GitDBBranch> init(
+            final Repository repository,
+            final String userName,
+            final String userEmailAddress
+    ) {
+        return ref -> select(ref, GitDBRepo.in(repository), userName, userEmailAddress);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -109,19 +117,13 @@ public class GitDBBranch {
         return gitDBRepo.insertTree(branchRef, key, valueId);
     }
 
-    private ObjectId insertCommit(
-            final ObjectId treeId,
-            final String message
-    ) throws IOException {
-        return gitDBRepo.insertCommit(treeId, message, userName, userEmailAddress, head());
-    }
-
-    private AnyObjectId head() {
-        return branchRef.getObjectId();
+    private ObjectId insertCommit(final ObjectId treeId, final String message) throws IOException {
+        final ObjectId headCommitId = branchRef.getObjectId();
+        return gitDBRepo.insertCommit(treeId, message, userName, userEmailAddress, headCommitId);
     }
 
     private GitDBBranch updateBranch(final ObjectId commitId) throws IOException {
         final Ref updatedRef = gitDBRepo.writeHead(branchRef.getName(), commitId);
-        return GitDBBranch.withRef(updatedRef, gitDBRepo, userName, userEmailAddress);
+        return select(updatedRef, gitDBRepo, userName, userEmailAddress);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/kemitix/gitdb/LocalGitDB.java b/src/main/java/net/kemitix/gitdb/LocalGitDB.java
index 37d8fde..001add7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/kemitix/gitdb/LocalGitDB.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/kemitix/gitdb/LocalGitDB.java
@@ -21,21 +21,20 @@
 
 package net.kemitix.gitdb;
 
-import lombok.RequiredArgsConstructor;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.Git;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.*;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.function.Function;
 
 /**
  * Implementation of GitDB for working with a local Repo.
  *
  * @author Paul Campbell (pcampbell@kemitix.net)
  */
-@RequiredArgsConstructor
-class LocalGitDB implements GitDB {
+final class LocalGitDB implements GitDB {
 
     private static final String NOT_A_BARE_REPO = "Not a bare repo";
     private static final String ERROR_OPENING_REPOSITORY = "Error opening repository";
@@ -44,6 +43,19 @@ class LocalGitDB implements GitDB {
     private final String userName;
     private final String userEmailAddress;
 
+    private final Function<Ref, GitDBBranch> branchInit;
+
+    private LocalGitDB(
+            final Repository repository,
+            final String userName,
+            final String userEmailAddress
+    ) {
+        this.repository = repository;
+        this.userName = userName;
+        this.userEmailAddress = userEmailAddress;
+        branchInit = GitDBBranch.init(this.repository, this.userName, this.userEmailAddress);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Create a new GitDB instance using the Git repo.
      *
@@ -88,8 +100,7 @@ class LocalGitDB implements GitDB {
 
     @Override
     public Optional<GitDBBranch> branch(final String name) throws IOException {
-        return Optional.ofNullable(repository.findRef(name))
-                .map(ref -> GitDBBranch.withRef(ref, GitDBRepo.in(repository), userName, userEmailAddress));
+        return Optional.ofNullable(repository.findRef(name)).map(branchInit);
     }
 
 }