diff --git a/lib/deferred-callback-queue.js b/lib/deferred-callback-queue.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c96c8d4f70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/deferred-callback-queue.js
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import {remote} from 'electron';
+import {CompositeDisposable, Disposable} from 'event-kit';
+import {autobind} from 'core-decorators';
+
+export default class DeferredCallbackQueue {
+  constructor(wait, callback, options = {}) {
+    this.wait = wait;
+    const currentWindow = remote.getCurrentWindow();
+
+    const onDidFocus = options.onDidFocus || function(cb) {
+      currentWindow.on('focus', cb);
+      return new Disposable(() => currentWindow.removeListener('focus', cb));
+    };
+    const onDidBlur = options.onDidBlur || function(cb) {
+      if (atom.inSpecMode()) {
+        return new Disposable();
+      }
+      currentWindow.on('blur', cb);
+      return new Disposable(() => currentWindow.removeListener('blur', cb));
+    };
+
+    this.callback = callback;
+    this.subscriptions = new CompositeDisposable();
+    this.items = new Set();
+
+    this.paused = !currentWindow.isFocused() && !atom.inSpecMode();
+    this.subscriptions.add(onDidFocus(this.resume));
+    this.subscriptions.add(onDidBlur(this.pause));
+  }
+
+  @autobind
+  pause() {
+    if (this.paused) { return; }
+    this.paused = true;
+  }
+
+  @autobind
+  resume() {
+    if (!this.paused) { return; }
+    this.paused = false;
+    if (this.timer) {
+      clearTimeout(this.timer);
+    }
+    this.flush();
+  }
+
+  resetTimer() {
+    if (this.timer) {
+      clearTimeout(this.timer);
+    }
+    this.timer = setTimeout(this.flush, this.wait);
+  }
+
+  @autobind
+  flush() {
+    delete this.timer;
+    if (this.items.size) {
+      this.callback([...this.items]);
+      this.items.clear();
+    }
+  }
+
+  push(...items) {
+    if (this.paused) {
+      items.forEach(item => this.items.add(item));
+      this.resetTimer();
+    } else {
+      this.callback(items);
+    }
+  }
+
+  destroy() {
+    this.subscriptions.dispose();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/git-shell-out-strategy.js b/lib/git-shell-out-strategy.js
index 9e4b342d89..914bb46061 100644
--- a/lib/git-shell-out-strategy.js
+++ b/lib/git-shell-out-strategy.js
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ export default class GitShellOutStrategy {
 
       // Detached HEAD
       return {
-        name: (await this.exec(['describe', '--contains', '--all', 'HEAD'])).trim(),
+        name: (await this.exec(['describe', '--contains', '--all', '--always', 'HEAD'])).trim(),
         isDetached: true,
       };
     }
diff --git a/lib/models/repository-states/present.js b/lib/models/repository-states/present.js
index b6fbd3aebb..a7953bba43 100644
--- a/lib/models/repository-states/present.js
+++ b/lib/models/repository-states/present.js
@@ -69,12 +69,10 @@ export default class Present extends State {
     this.didUpdate();
   }
 
-  observeFilesystemChange(events) {
+  observeFilesystemChange(paths) {
     const keys = new Set();
-    for (let i = 0; i < events.length; i++) {
-      const event = events[i];
-
-      const fullPath = path.join(event.directory, event.file || event.newFile);
+    for (let i = 0; i < paths.length; i++) {
+      const fullPath = paths[i];
 
       const endsWith = (...segments) => fullPath.endsWith(path.join(...segments));
       const includes = (...segments) => fullPath.includes(path.join(...segments));
diff --git a/lib/models/workdir-context.js b/lib/models/workdir-context.js
index 22dda9d829..9b7ee00222 100644
--- a/lib/models/workdir-context.js
+++ b/lib/models/workdir-context.js
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-import {Emitter, CompositeDisposable} from 'event-kit';
+import path from 'path';
+
+import {Emitter, CompositeDisposable, Disposable} from 'event-kit';
 import {autobind} from 'core-decorators';
 
+import DeferredCallbackQueue from '../deferred-callback-queue';
 import Repository from './repository';
 import ResolutionProgress from './conflicts/resolution-progress';
 import FileSystemChangeObserver from './file-system-change-observer';
@@ -38,6 +41,9 @@ export default class WorkdirContext {
       ? new WorkspaceChangeObserver(theWindow, workspace, this.repository)
       : new FileSystemChangeObserver(this.repository);
     this.resolutionProgress = new ResolutionProgress();
+    this.deferredCallbackQueue = new DeferredCallbackQueue(3000, collection => {
+      this.repository.observeFilesystemChange(collection);
+    });
 
     if (promptCallback) {
       this.repository.setPromptCallback(promptCallback);
@@ -45,8 +51,12 @@ export default class WorkdirContext {
 
     // Wire up event forwarding among models
     this.subs.add(this.repository.onDidChangeState(this.repositoryChangedState));
-    this.subs.add(this.observer.onDidChange(payload => this.repository.observeFilesystemChange(payload)));
+    this.subs.add(this.observer.onDidChange(events => {
+      const paths = events.map(e => path.join(e.directory, e.file || e.newFile));
+      this.deferredCallbackQueue.push(...paths);
+    }));
     this.subs.add(this.observer.onDidChangeWorkdirOrHead(() => this.emitter.emit('did-change-workdir-or-head')));
+    this.subs.add(new Disposable(() => this.deferredCallbackQueue.destroy()));
 
     // If a pre-loaded Repository was provided, broadcast an initial state change event.
     this.repositoryChangedState({from: null, to: this.repository.state});
diff --git a/test/deferred-callback-queue.test.js b/test/deferred-callback-queue.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e127feb0e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/deferred-callback-queue.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import DeferredCallbackQueue from '../lib/deferred-callback-queue';
+import {Emitter} from 'event-kit';
+
+describe('DeferredCallbackQueue', function() {
+  let callbackSpy, emitter, queue;
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    callbackSpy = sinon.spy();
+    emitter = new Emitter();
+    queue = new DeferredCallbackQueue(20, callbackSpy, {
+      onDidFocus: cb => {
+        return emitter.on('focus', cb);
+      },
+      onDidBlur: cb => {
+        return emitter.on('blur', cb);
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('when focused', function() {
+    it('calls the specified callback immediately', function() {
+      emitter.emit('focus');
+      queue.push('a', 'b', 'c');
+      assert.deepEqual(callbackSpy.args[0][0], ['a', 'b', 'c']);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('when blurred', function() {
+    it('calls the specified callback after a specified quiet time', async function() {
+      emitter.emit('blur');
+      queue.push(1);
+      await new Promise(res => setTimeout(res, 10));
+      queue.push(2);
+      await new Promise(res => setTimeout(res, 10));
+      queue.push(3);
+      await new Promise(res => setTimeout(res, 10));
+      assert.isFalse(callbackSpy.called);
+      await new Promise(res => setTimeout(res, 20));
+      assert.deepEqual(callbackSpy.args[0][0], [1, 2, 3]);
+    });
+
+    it('calls the specified callback immediately when focus is regained', async function() {
+      emitter.emit('blur');
+      queue.push(4);
+      await new Promise(res => setTimeout(res, 10));
+      queue.push(5);
+      await new Promise(res => setTimeout(res, 10));
+      queue.push(6);
+      await new Promise(res => setTimeout(res, 10));
+      assert.isFalse(callbackSpy.called);
+      emitter.emit('focus');
+      assert.deepEqual(callbackSpy.args[0][0], [4, 5, 6]);
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/models/repository.test.js b/test/models/repository.test.js
index decc4f3c4b..1bf44272db 100644
--- a/test/models/repository.test.js
+++ b/test/models/repository.test.js
@@ -1263,7 +1263,8 @@ describe('Repository', function() {
         );
 
         sub.add(observer.onDidChange(events => {
-          repository.observeFilesystemChange(events);
+          const paths = events.map(e => path.join(e.directory, e.file || e.newFile));
+          repository.observeFilesystemChange(paths);
           observedEvents.push(...events);
           eventCallback();
         }));
diff --git a/test/models/workdir-context.test.js b/test/models/workdir-context.test.js
index 2042bfe548..5275d4cb98 100644
--- a/test/models/workdir-context.test.js
+++ b/test/models/workdir-context.test.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import path from 'path';
+
 import {CompositeDisposable, Disposable} from 'event-kit';
 
 import {cloneRepository} from '../helpers';
@@ -62,10 +64,9 @@ describe('WorkdirContext', function() {
 
     sinon.spy(repo, 'observeFilesystemChange');
 
-    const payload = {};
-    context.getChangeObserver().didChange(payload);
+    context.getChangeObserver().didChange([{directory: '/a/b', file: 'c'}]);
 
-    assert.isTrue(repo.observeFilesystemChange.calledWith(payload));
+    assert.isTrue(repo.observeFilesystemChange.calledWith([path.join('/a/b', 'c')]));
   });
 
   it('re-emits an event on workdir or head change', async function() {