diff --git a/src/backends/netlify-git/API.js b/src/backends/netlify-git/API.js
index 873286e7..886c9f0b 100644
--- a/src/backends/netlify-git/API.js
+++ b/src/backends/netlify-git/API.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import LocalForage from 'localforage';
 import MediaProxy from '../../valueObjects/MediaProxy';
 import { Base64 } from 'js-base64';
-import { EDITORIAL_WORKFLOW } from '../../constants/publishModes';
 
 export default class API {
   constructor(token, url, branch) {
@@ -55,7 +54,7 @@ export default class API {
   }
 
   checkMetadataRef() {
-    return this.request(`${this.repoURL}/refs/meta/_netlify_cms?${Date.now()}`, {
+    return this.request(`${this.repoURL}/refs/meta/_netlify_cms`, {
       cache: 'no-store',
     })
     .then(response => response.object)
@@ -91,6 +90,11 @@ export default class API {
       .then(item => this.updateTree(branchData.sha, '/', fileTree))
       .then(changeTree => this.commit(`Updating “${key}” metadata`, changeTree))
       .then(response => this.patchRef('meta', '_netlify_cms', response.sha));
+    }).then(() => {
+      LocalForage.setItem(`gh.meta.${key}`, {
+        expires: Date.now() + 300000, // In 5 minutes
+        data
+      });
     });
   }
 
@@ -103,31 +107,25 @@ export default class API {
         params: { ref: 'refs/meta/_netlify_cms' },
         headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/vnd.netlify.raw' },
         cache: 'no-store',
-      }).then((result) => {
-        LocalForage.setItem(`gh.meta.${key}`, {
-          expires: Date.now() + 300000, // In 5 minutes
-          data: result,
-        });
-        return result;
-      });
+      })
+      .then(response => JSON.parse(response));
     });
   }
 
-  readFile(path, sha) {
+  readFile(path, sha, branch = this.branch) {
     const cache = sha ? LocalForage.getItem(`gh.${sha}`) : Promise.resolve(null);
     return cache.then((cached) => {
       if (cached) { return cached; }
 
       return this.request(`${this.repoURL}/files/${path}`, {
         headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/vnd.netlify.raw' },
-        params: { ref: this.branch },
+        params: { ref: branch },
         cache: false,
         raw: true
       }).then((result) => {
         if (sha) {
           LocalForage.setItem(`gh.${sha}`, result);
         }
-
         return result;
       });
     });
@@ -142,10 +140,13 @@ export default class API {
   persistFiles(entry, mediaFiles, options) {
     let filename, part, parts, subtree;
     const fileTree = {};
-    const files = [];
-    mediaFiles.concat(entry).forEach((file) => {
+    const uploadPromises = [];
+
+    const files = mediaFiles.concat(entry);
+
+    files.forEach((file) => {
       if (file.uploaded) { return; }
-      files.push(this.uploadBlob(file));
+      uploadPromises.push(this.uploadBlob(file));
       parts = file.path.split('/').filter((part) => part);
       filename = parts.pop();
       subtree = fileTree;
@@ -156,20 +157,11 @@ export default class API {
       subtree[filename] = file;
       file.file = true;
     });
-    return Promise.all(files)
+    return Promise.all(uploadPromises)
       .then(() => this.getBranch())
       .then(branchData => this.updateTree(branchData.commit.sha, '/', fileTree))
       .then(changeTree => this.commit(options.commitMessage, changeTree))
-      .then((response) => {
-        if (options.mode && options.mode === EDITORIAL_WORKFLOW) {
-          const contentKey = options.collectionName ? `${options.collectionName}-${entry.slug}` : entry.slug;
-          return this.createBranch(`cms/${contentKey}`, response.sha)
-          .then(this.storeMetadata(contentKey, { status: 'draft' }))
-          .then(this.createPR(options.commitMessage, `cms/${contentKey}`));
-        } else {
-          return this.patchBranch(this.branch, response.sha);
-        }
-      });
+      .then((response) => this.patchBranch(this.branch, response.sha));
   }
 
   createRef(type, name, sha) {
@@ -179,10 +171,6 @@ export default class API {
     });
   }
 
-  createBranch(branchName, sha) {
-    return this.createRef('heads', branchName, sha);
-  }
-
   patchRef(type, name, sha) {
     return this.request(`${this.repoURL}/refs/${type}/${name}`, {
       method: 'PATCH',
@@ -190,12 +178,26 @@ export default class API {
     });
   }
 
+  deleteRef(type, name, sha) {
+    return this.request(`${this.repoURL}/refs/${type}/${name}`, {
+      method: 'DELETE',
+    });
+  }
+
+  getBranch(branch = this.branch) {
+    return this.request(`${this.repoURL}/refs/heads/${this.branch}`);
+  }
+
+  createBranch(branchName, sha) {
+    return this.createRef('heads', branchName, sha);
+  }
+
   patchBranch(branchName, sha) {
     return this.patchRef('heads', branchName, sha);
   }
 
-  getBranch() {
-    return this.request(`${this.repoURL}/refs/heads/${this.branch}`);
+  deleteBranch(branchName) {
+    return this.deleteRef('heads', branchName);
   }
 
   createPR(title, head, base = 'master') {