diff --git a/.hgtags b/.hgtags
index 619676e43dc4f241bfcd4d6a55d0f376fd7f3255_LmhndGFncw==..7daa150349b45ec4bcc4694a9db790452e6485ab_LmhndGFncw== 100644
--- a/.hgtags
+++ b/.hgtags
@@ -100,5 +100,6 @@
 051d5d1a5b298a55eaea2f140812353527c1eb2b 4.7.6
 eedd1bdaad2fd98cf68a5c4c05db952096e20bd8 4.7.7
 0592551395b445cf8f1823024a793a65c427c66b 4.8.0
+f34492e3beb2feade9df44809ad051e67e97957a 4.8.1
 66c09471519c8b80e7ab5d93f2c2435000f3b01e 5.0.0
 0dc18d6bd6efb951678b511510bd7d905ebe18bb 5.0.1
diff --git a/heptapod/gitlab/change.py b/heptapod/gitlab/change.py
index 619676e43dc4f241bfcd4d6a55d0f376fd7f3255_aGVwdGFwb2QvZ2l0bGFiL2NoYW5nZS5weQ==..7daa150349b45ec4bcc4694a9db790452e6485ab_aGVwdGFwb2QvZ2l0bGFiL2NoYW5nZS5weQ== 100644
--- a/heptapod/gitlab/change.py
+++ b/heptapod/gitlab/change.py
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
     def is_creation(self):
         return self.before == ZERO_SHA and self.after != ZERO_SHA
 
+    def is_deletion(self):
+        return self.after == ZERO_SHA and self.before != ZERO_SHA
+
     def export_for_hook(self, handler, native=False):
         """Prepare for actual hook sending.
 
diff --git a/hgext3rd/heptapod/state_maintainer.py b/hgext3rd/heptapod/state_maintainer.py
index 619676e43dc4f241bfcd4d6a55d0f376fd7f3255_aGdleHQzcmQvaGVwdGFwb2Qvc3RhdGVfbWFpbnRhaW5lci5weQ==..7daa150349b45ec4bcc4694a9db790452e6485ab_aGdleHQzcmQvaGVwdGFwb2Qvc3RhdGVfbWFpbnRhaW5lci5weQ== 100644
--- a/hgext3rd/heptapod/state_maintainer.py
+++ b/hgext3rd/heptapod/state_maintainer.py
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@
     # Methods relying on the expected implemented methods
     #
 
+    @property
+    def native(self):
+        return self.repo.ui.configbool(b'heptapod', b'native')
+
     def is_wiki(self):
         """Tell whether self.repo is the storage for a GitLab wiki"""
         return (self.repo.ui.environ.get(b'GL_REPOSITORY', b'')
@@ -855,7 +859,7 @@
                                                    before=before_sha,
                                                    after=after_sha)
 
-        if self.is_wiki():
+        if self.is_wiki() and not self.native:
             # GitLab wikis are much hardwired onto 'master' in a Git repo
             on_default = changes.get(gitlab_branch_ref(b'branch/default'))
             if on_default is not None:
@@ -935,7 +939,7 @@
             return
 
         ui = self.repo.ui
-        native = ui.configbool(b'heptapod', b'native')
+        native = self.native
         ui.note(b"heptapod_notify_gitlab heptapod.native=%r" % native)
 
         if native and prune_reasons:
@@ -1153,6 +1157,21 @@
         if default_exists and not ref_is_topic(default_ref):
             return
 
+        # The default GitLab branch might not have been set on Wikis
+        # when they went native, see heptapod#1987. For Wikis, the choice
+        # is always 'branch/default'.
+        branch_default_ref = gitlab_branch_ref(b'branch/default')
+        if default_ref is None and self.is_wiki() and self.native:
+            change = changes.get(branch_default_ref)
+            exists = branch_default_ref in self.gitlab_refs
+            if change is not None:
+                # mutating boolean clearer than very long condition in `if`
+                exists &= not change.is_deletion()
+                exists |= change.is_creation()
+            if exists:
+                self.set_default_gitlab_ref(branch_default_ref)
+                return
+
         new_named_branch_refs = set()
         fallback_new_refs = set()
         for ref, change in pycompat.iteritems(changes):
@@ -1182,7 +1201,6 @@
                 )
             return
 
-        branch_default_ref = gitlab_branch_ref(b'branch/default')
         if branch_default_ref in candidate_refs:
             new_default_ref = branch_default_ref
         else:
diff --git a/hgext3rd/heptapod/tests/no_git/test_integration.py b/hgext3rd/heptapod/tests/no_git/test_integration.py
index 619676e43dc4f241bfcd4d6a55d0f376fd7f3255_aGdleHQzcmQvaGVwdGFwb2QvdGVzdHMvbm9fZ2l0L3Rlc3RfaW50ZWdyYXRpb24ucHk=..7daa150349b45ec4bcc4694a9db790452e6485ab_aGdleHQzcmQvaGVwdGFwb2QvdGVzdHMvbm9fZ2l0L3Rlc3RfaW50ZWdyYXRpb24ucHk= 100644
--- a/hgext3rd/heptapod/tests/no_git/test_integration.py
+++ b/hgext3rd/heptapod/tests/no_git/test_integration.py
@@ -210,9 +210,7 @@
 
     sha = fixture.ctx1.hex()
     # for wikis, we duplicate `branch/default` as `master`
-    changes = {}, {b'refs/heads/branch/default': (ZERO_SHA, sha),
-                   b'refs/heads/master': (ZERO_SHA, sha),
-                   }
+    changes = {}, {b'refs/heads/branch/default': (ZERO_SHA, sha)}
     assert notifs == [
         ('pre-receive', changes),
         ('post-receive', changes),