diff --git a/plugin/src/App/init.lua b/plugin/src/App/init.lua
index 0a9ed3bc..232f612e 100644
--- a/plugin/src/App/init.lua
+++ b/plugin/src/App/init.lua
@@ -542,6 +542,10 @@ function App:checkSyncReminder()
 end
 
 function App:startSyncReminderPolling()
+	-- Feature disabled: polling GET /api/rojo every 30s is expensive and
+	-- the setting was hidden behind showNotifications anyway.
+	do return end
+
 	if
 		self.syncReminderPollingThread ~= nil
 		or Settings:get("syncReminderMode") == "None"
diff --git a/plugin/src/ServeSession.lua b/plugin/src/ServeSession.lua
index 5e5966ea..501a6746 100644
--- a/plugin/src/ServeSession.lua
+++ b/plugin/src/ServeSession.lua
@@ -350,48 +350,57 @@ function ServeSession:start()
 
 			self.__serverInfo = serverInfo
 
-			local computePatchClock = os.clock()
-			Log.debug("[TIMING] __computeInitialPatch() starting")
-			return self:__computeInitialPatch(serverInfo):andThen(function(catchUpPatch)
-				Log.debug(
-					"[TIMING] __computeInitialPatch() completed ({} ms)",
-					string.format("%.1f", (os.clock() - computePatchClock) * 1000)
-				)
-				self:setLoadingText("Starting sync loop...")
-
-				local wsClock = os.clock()
-				Log.debug("[TIMING] connectWebSocket() starting")
-				-- Connect WebSocket BEFORE showing confirmation so changes
-				-- during confirmation can be merged into the patch
-				-- Note: connectWebSocket returns a Promise that only resolves when
-				-- the connection closes, so we don't chain .andThen() on it
-				self.__apiContext
-					:connectWebSocket({
-						["messages"] = function(messagesPacket)
-							self:__onWebSocketMessage(messagesPacket)
-						end,
-					})
-					:catch(function(err)
-						if self.__status ~= Status.Disconnected then
-							self:__stopInternal(err)
-						end
-					end)
-				Log.debug(
-					"[TIMING] connectWebSocket() initiated ({} ms)",
-					string.format("%.1f", (os.clock() - wsClock) * 1000)
-				)
-
-				local confirmClock = os.clock()
-				Log.debug("[TIMING] __confirmAndApplyInitialPatch() starting")
-				-- Now show confirmation and wait for user decision
-				return self:__confirmAndApplyInitialPatch(catchUpPatch, serverInfo):andThen(function(...)
-					Log.debug(
-						"[TIMING] __confirmAndApplyInitialPatch() completed ({} ms)",
-						string.format("%.1f", (os.clock() - confirmClock) * 1000)
-					)
-					return ...
+			self:setLoadingText("Fetching git metadata...")
+			return self.__apiContext
+				:getGitMetadata()
+				:andThen(function(gitMeta)
+					serverInfo.gitMetadata = gitMeta
+				end)
+				:catch(function() end)
+				:andThen(function()
+					local computePatchClock = os.clock()
+					Log.debug("[TIMING] __computeInitialPatch() starting")
+					return self:__computeInitialPatch(serverInfo):andThen(function(catchUpPatch)
+						Log.debug(
+							"[TIMING] __computeInitialPatch() completed ({} ms)",
+							string.format("%.1f", (os.clock() - computePatchClock) * 1000)
+						)
+						self:setLoadingText("Starting sync loop...")
+
+						local wsClock = os.clock()
+						Log.debug("[TIMING] connectWebSocket() starting")
+						-- Connect WebSocket BEFORE showing confirmation so changes
+						-- during confirmation can be merged into the patch
+						-- Note: connectWebSocket returns a Promise that only resolves when
+						-- the connection closes, so we don't chain .andThen() on it
+						self.__apiContext
+							:connectWebSocket({
+								["messages"] = function(messagesPacket)
+									self:__onWebSocketMessage(messagesPacket)
+								end,
+							})
+							:catch(function(err)
+								if self.__status ~= Status.Disconnected then
+									self:__stopInternal(err)
+								end
+							end)
+						Log.debug(
+							"[TIMING] connectWebSocket() initiated ({} ms)",
+							string.format("%.1f", (os.clock() - wsClock) * 1000)
+						)
+
+						local confirmClock = os.clock()
+						Log.debug("[TIMING] __confirmAndApplyInitialPatch() starting")
+						-- Now show confirmation and wait for user decision
+						return self:__confirmAndApplyInitialPatch(catchUpPatch, serverInfo):andThen(function(...)
+							Log.debug(
+								"[TIMING] __confirmAndApplyInitialPatch() completed ({} ms)",
+								string.format("%.1f", (os.clock() - confirmClock) * 1000)
+							)
+							return ...
+						end)
+					end)
 				end)
-			end)
 		end)
 		:andThen(function()
 			Log.debug(
diff --git a/src/web/api.rs b/src/web/api.rs
index 974384a1..1361b10c 100644
--- a/src/web/api.rs
+++ b/src/web/api.rs
@@ -404,28 +404,6 @@ impl ApiService {
             Vec::new()
         };
 
-        let git_metadata = if let Some(repo_root) = self.serve_session.git_repo_root() {
-            let tree_handle = self.serve_session.tree_handle();
-            let repo_root = repo_root.to_owned();
-            let initial_head = self
-                .serve_session
-                .initial_head_commit()
-                .map(|s| s.to_owned());
-            let t = Instant::now();
-            let result = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
-                crate::git::compute_git_metadata(&tree_handle, &repo_root, initial_head.as_deref())
-            })
-            .await
-            .ok();
-            log::debug!(
-                "[TIMING] handle_api_rojo: compute_git_metadata {}ms",
-                t.elapsed().as_millis()
-            );
-            result
-        } else {
-            None
-        };
-
         log::debug!(
             "[TIMING] handle_api_rojo: total {}ms",
             handler_start.elapsed().as_millis()
@@ -446,7 +424,7 @@ impl ApiService {
             sync_scripts_only: self.serve_session.sync_scripts_only(),
             ignore_hidden_services,
             visible_services,
-            git_metadata,
+            git_metadata: None,
         })
     }