diff --git a/src/Squot.package/SquotFileTestHistorian.class/instance/version..st b/src/Squot.package/SquotFileTestHistorian.class/instance/version..st
index 0abfd12ec..5ba8f41d5 100644
--- a/src/Squot.package/SquotFileTestHistorian.class/instance/version..st
+++ b/src/Squot.package/SquotFileTestHistorian.class/instance/version..st
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 Pur historian
 version: aVersion
+	aVersion ifNil: [^ self delete].
 	self file writeStreamDo:
 		[:stream |
 		stream nextPutAll: aVersion internalId].
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Squot.package/SquotFileTestHistorian.class/methodProperties.json b/src/Squot.package/SquotFileTestHistorian.class/methodProperties.json
index d979b97e4..1da081fc0 100644
--- a/src/Squot.package/SquotFileTestHistorian.class/methodProperties.json
+++ b/src/Squot.package/SquotFileTestHistorian.class/methodProperties.json
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@
 		"repository" : "jr 3/16/2019 17:42",
 		"repository:" : "jr 3/16/2019 17:45",
 		"version" : "jr 3/16/2019 17:51",
-		"version:" : "jr 3/16/2019 17:48",
+		"version:" : "jr 11/27/2022 18:59",
 		"versionName" : "jr 3/16/2019 17:53" } }
diff --git a/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/instance/switchAndMoveUnsavedChangesOverTo..st b/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/instance/switchAndMoveUnsavedChangesOverTo..st
index 8239baa33..01adb80d3 100644
--- a/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/instance/switchAndMoveUnsavedChangesOverTo..st
+++ b/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/instance/switchAndMoveUnsavedChangesOverTo..st
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 switching historians
 switchAndMoveUnsavedChangesOverTo: aHistorian
-	| fromHistorian temporarySnapshot |
+	| fromHistorian fromVersion temporarySnapshot |
 	fromHistorian := self loadedHistorian.
+	fromVersion := fromHistorian version ifNil: [SquotSnapshot empty].
 	(fromHistorian version = aHistorian version
 	and: [(self repository hasTemporaryVersionsOn: aHistorian) not]) ifTrue:
 		["nothing needs to be modified in the store"
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ switchAndMoveUnsavedChangesOverTo: aHistorian
 		self privateLoadVersion: aHistorian version].
 	self withCurrentSnapshot: [self mergeTemporaryVersionsOn: aHistorian].
 	SquotProgress displayStatus: 'Restoring unsaved changes' during:
-	[self mergeSilently: temporarySnapshot basedOn: fromHistorian version
+	[self mergeSilently: temporarySnapshot basedOn: fromVersion
 		onConflictsDo:
 			[:merge | | accepted |
 			[accepted := true.
diff --git a/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/instance/switchTo..st b/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/instance/switchTo..st
index e750093a1..fd4f7b78f 100644
--- a/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/instance/switchTo..st
+++ b/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/instance/switchTo..st
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ switchTo: aHistorian
 	| fromHistorian originVersion targetVersion temporarySnapshot addedObjects mergeReaddedObjects |
 	fromHistorian := self loadedHistorian.
 	originVersion := fromHistorian version.
+	originVersion ifNil: [originVersion := SquotSnapshot empty].
 	targetVersion := aHistorian version.
 	self withCurrentSnapshot: [self temporarilySaveChangesOn: fromHistorian].
 	SquotProgress displayStatus: 'Loading ', (targetVersion printStringLimitedTo: 100) during:
diff --git a/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/methodProperties.json b/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/methodProperties.json
index c6f7a39aa..0d63126fe 100644
--- a/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/methodProperties.json
+++ b/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopy.class/methodProperties.json
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@
 		"snapshot" : "jr 11/22/2020 17:55",
 		"store" : "jr 1/26/2017 14:48",
 		"store:" : "jr 10/5/2020 00:00",
-		"switchAndMoveUnsavedChangesOverTo:" : "jr 1/13/2022 22:24",
-		"switchTo:" : "jr 1/22/2022 13:58",
+		"switchAndMoveUnsavedChangesOverTo:" : "jr 11/27/2022 18:54",
+		"switchTo:" : "jr 11/27/2022 18:45",
 		"temporarilySaveChangesDuring:" : "jr 5/30/2019 00:24",
 		"temporarilySaveChangesOn:" : "jr 9/13/2020 22:00",
 		"unload" : "jr 1/26/2017 17:38",
diff --git a/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopyTest.class/instance/testSwitchAwayFromOrphanedBranch.st b/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopyTest.class/instance/testSwitchAwayFromOrphanedBranch.st
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e19a7e43f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopyTest.class/instance/testSwitchAwayFromOrphanedBranch.st
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+tests branch switching
+testSwitchAwayFromOrphanedBranch
+	| class trackedObject existingHistorian orphanedHistorian |
+	"given"
+	repository withUnitOfWork:
+		[self suppressChangeNotificationsDuring: [class := classFactory newClass].
+			class compileSilently: 'a ^ #originalReturnValue' classified: 'will not be changed'.
+			trackedObject := self addPackage.
+		workingCopy saveVersionWithMessage: 'initial version'.
+		existingHistorian := workingCopy loadedHistorian.
+		orphanedHistorian := repository historianNamed: 'newHistorian'.
+		workingCopy 
+			loadedHistorian: orphanedHistorian;
+			loadedVersion: nil.
+		"when"
+		self suppressChangeNotificationsDuring: [workingCopy switchTo: existingHistorian].
+		"then"
+		self assert: class new a == #originalReturnValue.
+		
+		
+		workingCopy 
+			loadedHistorian: orphanedHistorian;
+			loadedVersion: nil.
+		"when"
+		self suppressChangeNotificationsDuring:
+			[workingCopy switchAndMoveUnsavedChangesOverTo: existingHistorian].
+		"then"
+		self assert: class new a == #originalReturnValue].
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopyTest.class/methodProperties.json b/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopyTest.class/methodProperties.json
index 4d46e7695..205a59f86 100644
--- a/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopyTest.class/methodProperties.json
+++ b/src/Squot.package/SquotWorkingCopyTest.class/methodProperties.json
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 		"testSaveTimestampIsNow" : "jr 8/25/2020 19:13",
 		"testSaveWithoutAddedArtifact" : "jr 4/18/2022 16:48",
 		"testSwitchAndMoveOverToBranchAtSameVersion" : "jr 3/2/2020 23:23",
+		"testSwitchAwayFromOrphanedBranch" : "jr 11/27/2022 18:56",
 		"testSwitchBranch" : "jr 3/2/2020 23:23",
 		"testSwitchBranchAndMoveOverUnsavedChanges" : "jr 3/2/2020 23:37",
 		"testSwitchBranchAndMoveOverUnsavedChangesInAddedArtifact" : "jr 1/2/2021 00:31",