diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/AbstractCodeOwnersTest.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/AbstractCodeOwnersTest.java
index a3dfde6..e8873e4 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/AbstractCodeOwnersTest.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/AbstractCodeOwnersTest.java
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@
     setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "true");
   }
 
+  protected void enableCodeOwnersForProject(Project.NameKey project) throws Exception {
+    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
+  }
+
   protected void setCodeOwnersConfig(
       Project.NameKey project, String subsection, String key, String value) throws Exception {
     Config codeOwnersConfig = new Config();
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesIT.java
index a0f3384..b163b1f 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesIT.java
@@ -25,10 +25,11 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.config.GerritConfig;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.project.ProjectOperations;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.request.RequestScopeOperations;
+import com.google.gerrit.entities.BranchNameKey;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.Permission;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.Project;
+import com.google.gerrit.entities.RefNames;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.config.ConsistencyCheckInfo.ConsistencyProblemInfo;
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.projects.BranchInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.AuthException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.BadRequestException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestApiException;
@@ -86,6 +87,22 @@
   }
 
   @Test
+  public void nonVisibleBranchesAreSkipped() throws Exception {
+    String branchName = "non-visible";
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, branchName));
+
+    projectOperations
+        .project(project)
+        .forUpdate()
+        .add(block(Permission.READ).ref(RefNames.fullName(branchName)).group(REGISTERED_USERS))
+        .update();
+
+    assertThat(checkCodeOwnerConfigFilesIn(project))
+        .containsExactly(
+            "refs/heads/master", ImmutableMap.of(), "refs/meta/config", ImmutableMap.of());
+  }
+
+  @Test
   @GerritConfig(name = "plugin.code-owners.disabledBranch", value = "refs/meta/config")
   public void disabledBranchesAreSkipped() throws Exception {
     assertThat(checkCodeOwnerConfigFilesIn(project))
@@ -219,8 +236,8 @@
 
   @Test
   public void validateSpecifiedBranches() throws Exception {
-    gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branch("stable-1.0").create(new BranchInput());
-    gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branch("stable-1.1").create(new BranchInput());
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, "stable-1.0"));
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, "stable-1.1"));
 
     assertThat(
             projectCodeOwnersApiFactory
@@ -235,8 +252,8 @@
 
   @Test
   public void validateSpecifiedBranches_shortNames() throws Exception {
-    gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branch("stable-1.0").create(new BranchInput());
-    gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branch("stable-1.1").create(new BranchInput());
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, "stable-1.0"));
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, "stable-1.1"));
 
     assertThat(
             projectCodeOwnersApiFactory
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java
index 6f3374b..dcc6464 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.config.GerritConfig;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.project.ProjectOperations;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.request.RequestScopeOperations;
+import com.google.gerrit.entities.BranchNameKey;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.Permission;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.Project;
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.projects.BranchInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.projects.ConfigInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.client.ChangeStatus;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.client.ProjectState;
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.proto.ProtoBackend;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.proto.ProtoCodeOwnerConfigParser;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.config.BackendConfig;
-import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.config.StatusConfig;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.AnyObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
@@ -343,7 +342,7 @@
     r.assertOkStatus();
 
     // re-enable the code owners functionality for the project
-    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
+    enableCodeOwnersForProject(project);
 
     // delete the invalid code owner config file
     PushOneCommit push =
@@ -369,7 +368,7 @@
     r.assertOkStatus();
 
     // re-enable the code owners functionality for the project
-    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
+    enableCodeOwnersForProject(project);
 
     // update the code owner config so that it is still not parseable
     r =
@@ -408,7 +407,7 @@
     r.assertOkStatus();
 
     // re-enable the code owners functionality for the project
-    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
+    enableCodeOwnersForProject(project);
 
     // update the code owner config so that it is parseable now, but has validation issues
     String unknownEmail1 = "non-existing-email@example.com";
@@ -459,7 +458,7 @@
     r.assertOkStatus();
 
     // re-enable the code owners functionality for the project
-    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
+    enableCodeOwnersForProject(project);
 
     // update the code owner config so that the validation issue still exists, but no new issue is
     // introduced
@@ -621,7 +620,7 @@
     r.assertOkStatus();
 
     // re-enable the code owners functionality for the project
-    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
+    enableCodeOwnersForProject(project);
 
     // update the code owner config so that the validation issue still exists and a new issue is
     // introduced
@@ -682,7 +681,7 @@
     r.assertOkStatus();
 
     // re-enable the code owners functionality for the project
-    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
+    enableCodeOwnersForProject(project);
 
     // approve the change
     approve(r.getChangeId());
@@ -733,7 +732,7 @@
     r.assertOkStatus();
 
     // re-enable the code owners functionality for the project
-    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
+    enableCodeOwnersForProject(project);
 
     // approve the change
     approve(r.getChangeId());
@@ -1181,7 +1180,7 @@
     gApi.changes().id(r.getChangeId()).current().submit();
 
     // re-enable the code owners functionality for the project
-    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
+    enableCodeOwnersForProject(project);
 
     // create a code owner config that imports a non-parseable code owner config
     CodeOwnerConfig.Key keyOfImportingCodeOwnerConfig = createCodeOwnerConfigKey("/");
@@ -1214,7 +1213,7 @@
   public void validateMergeCommitCreatedViaTheCreateChangeRestApi() throws Exception {
     // Create another branch.
     String branchName = "stable";
-    gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branch(branchName).create(new BranchInput());
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, branchName));
 
     // Create a code owner config file in the other branch.
     codeOwnerConfigOperations
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/testsuite/CodeOwnerConfigOperationsImplTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/testsuite/CodeOwnerConfigOperationsImplTest.java
index 7718b5d..d872186 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/testsuite/CodeOwnerConfigOperationsImplTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/testsuite/CodeOwnerConfigOperationsImplTest.java
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
 import com.google.common.truth.Truth8;
+import com.google.gerrit.entities.BranchNameKey;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.RefNames;
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.projects.BranchInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance.AbstractCodeOwnersTest;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance.testsuite.CodeOwnerConfigOperations.PerCodeOwnerConfigOperations;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.CodeOwnerConfig;
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
   @Test
   public void specifiedBranchIsRespectedForCodeOwnerConfigCreation() throws Exception {
     String branchName = "foo";
-    gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branch(branchName).create(new BranchInput());
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, branchName));
 
     CodeOwnerConfig.Key codeOwnerConfigKey =
         codeOwnerConfigOperations
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerConfigScannerTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerConfigScannerTest.java
index 14bf652..06be307 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerConfigScannerTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerConfigScannerTest.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.JgitPath;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance.AbstractCodeOwnersTest;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance.testsuite.CodeOwnerConfigOperations;
-import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.config.StatusConfig;
 import java.nio.file.Paths;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.ConfigInvalidException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.junit.TestRepository;
@@ -438,6 +437,6 @@
             .getChangeId();
     approve(changeId);
     gApi.changes().id(changeId).current().submit();
-    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
+    enableCodeOwnersForProject(project);
   }
 }
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/PathCodeOwnersTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/PathCodeOwnersTest.java
index 27d7202..e5d06ac 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/PathCodeOwnersTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/PathCodeOwnersTest.java
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.BranchNameKey;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.Project;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.Project.NameKey;
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.projects.BranchInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.projects.ConfigInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.client.ProjectState;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.registration.DynamicMap;
@@ -1302,14 +1301,10 @@
 
     // Create other branches in project.
     String branchName = "foo";
-    BranchInput branchInput = new BranchInput();
-    branchInput.ref = branchName;
-    branchInput.revision = projectOperations.project(project).getHead("master").name();
-    gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branch(branchInput.ref).create(branchInput);
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, branchName));
 
     // Create other branches in other project.
-    branchInput.revision = projectOperations.project(otherProject).getHead("master").name();
-    gApi.projects().name(otherProject.get()).branch(branchInput.ref).create(branchInput);
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(otherProject, branchName));
 
     // create importing config with global code owner and import with relative path
     CodeOwnerConfig.Key rootCodeOwnerConfigKey =
@@ -1351,10 +1346,7 @@
   public void importFromOtherBranch() throws Exception {
     // Create other branch.
     String otherBranch = "foo";
-    BranchInput branchInput = new BranchInput();
-    branchInput.ref = otherBranch;
-    branchInput.revision = projectOperations.project(project).getHead("master").name();
-    gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branch(branchInput.ref).create(branchInput);
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, otherBranch));
 
     // create importing config with global code owner and import with relative path
     CodeOwnerConfig.Key rootCodeOwnerConfigKey =
@@ -1399,10 +1391,7 @@
 
     // Create other branch.
     String otherBranch = "foo";
-    BranchInput branchInput = new BranchInput();
-    branchInput.ref = otherBranch;
-    branchInput.revision = projectOperations.project(otherProject).getHead("master").name();
-    gApi.projects().name(otherProject.get()).branch(branchInput.ref).create(branchInput);
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(otherProject, otherBranch));
 
     // create importing config with global code owner and import with relative path
     CodeOwnerConfig.Key rootCodeOwnerConfigKey =
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/CodeOwnersPluginConfigurationTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/CodeOwnersPluginConfigurationTest.java
index 4ff9123..63ff5d7 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/CodeOwnersPluginConfigurationTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/CodeOwnersPluginConfigurationTest.java
@@ -816,10 +816,6 @@
     setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED_BRANCH, disabledBranch);
   }
 
-  private void enableCodeOwnersForProject(Project.NameKey project) throws Exception {
-    setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED, "false");
-  }
-
   private void enableCodeOwnersForAllBranches(Project.NameKey project) throws Exception {
     setCodeOwnersConfig(project, null, StatusConfig.KEY_DISABLED_BRANCH, "");
   }
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/CodeOwnerProjectConfigJsonTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/CodeOwnerProjectConfigJsonTest.java
index 6300a99..704d34d 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/CodeOwnerProjectConfigJsonTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/CodeOwnerProjectConfigJsonTest.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.BranchNameKey;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.LabelType;
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.projects.BranchInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance.AbstractCodeOwnersTest;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.api.BackendInfo;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.api.CodeOwnerProjectConfigInfo;
@@ -92,7 +91,7 @@
 
   @Test
   public void formatBackendIds() throws Exception {
-    gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branch("stable-2.10").create(new BranchInput());
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, "stable-2.10"));
 
     when(codeOwnersPluginConfiguration.getBackend(project)).thenReturn(findOwnersBackend);
     when(codeOwnersPluginConfiguration.getBackend(BranchNameKey.create(project, "master")))
@@ -132,7 +131,7 @@
   @Test
   public void formatCodeOwnerProjectConfig() throws Exception {
     createOwnersOverrideLabel();
-    gApi.projects().name(project.get()).branch("stable-2.10").create(new BranchInput());
+    createBranch(BranchNameKey.create(project, "stable-2.10"));
 
     when(codeOwnersPluginConfiguration.isDisabled(project)).thenReturn(true);
     when(codeOwnersPluginConfiguration.getBackend(project)).thenReturn(findOwnersBackend);