diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/index.ts b/lib/workers/repository/index.ts
index 9a327d2fb982523502f6aba15a980d3221fd96ac..07c297529aee37764e05a14598f18675cc833e5e 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/index.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export async function renovateRepository(
       config
     );
     await ensureOnboardingPr(config, packageFiles, branches);
-    const res = await updateRepo(config, branches, branchList);
+    const res = await updateRepo(config, branches);
     addSplit('update');
     if (res !== 'automerged') {
       await ensureMasterIssue(config, branches);
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/process/index.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/process/index.spec.ts
index bad4c22815107cf0ed3bea9e720cbbd95f93f2e0..f7e75251090e6aeb69babd80cdb5809c91ac1831 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/process/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/process/index.spec.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/process/index', () => {
       git.branchExists.mockReturnValueOnce(false);
       git.branchExists.mockReturnValueOnce(true);
       const res = await extractDependencies(config);
-      await updateRepo(config, res.branches, res.branchList);
+      await updateRepo(config, res.branches);
       expect(res).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
   });
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/process/index.ts b/lib/workers/repository/process/index.ts
index feb8671e4ab407c23bc2172546ac9a9397460ce2..0696fbfd65b444db971ec42002821282abf08892 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/process/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/process/index.ts
@@ -95,8 +95,7 @@ export async function extractDependencies(
 
 export function updateRepo(
   config: RenovateConfig,
-  branches: BranchConfig[],
-  branchList: string[]
+  branches: BranchConfig[]
 ): Promise<WriteUpdateResult | undefined> {
   logger.debug('processRepo()');