diff --git a/app/services/security/ci_configuration/base_create_service.rb b/app/services/security/ci_configuration/base_create_service.rb
index 3e8865d3dfffde768ae14978ffac4de587d3fe3f..c5fbabf487c493db446d9651a81407c3f77a4019 100644
--- a/app/services/security/ci_configuration/base_create_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/security/ci_configuration/base_create_service.rb
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def attributes
       end
 
       def existing_gitlab_ci_content
-        root_ref = root_ref_sha(project)
+        root_ref = root_ref_sha(project.repository)
         return if root_ref.nil?
 
         @gitlab_ci_yml ||= project.ci_config_for(root_ref)
@@ -82,13 +82,10 @@ def track_event(attributes_for_commit)
         )
       end
 
-      def root_ref_sha(project)
-        project.repository.root_ref_sha
-      rescue StandardError => e
-        # this might fail on the very first commit,
-        # and unfortunately it raises a StandardError
-        Gitlab::ErrorTracking.track_exception(e, project_id: project.id)
-        nil
+      def root_ref_sha(repository)
+        commit = repository.commit(repository.root_ref)
+
+        commit&.sha
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/support/shared_examples/services/security/ci_configuration/create_service_shared_examples.rb b/spec/support/shared_examples/services/security/ci_configuration/create_service_shared_examples.rb
index 209be09c807fdd73641c2e591418f8c004e01f1c..8bfe57f45496ae7b65aafc36c5da667513bab8e3 100644
--- a/spec/support/shared_examples/services/security/ci_configuration/create_service_shared_examples.rb
+++ b/spec/support/shared_examples/services/security/ci_configuration/create_service_shared_examples.rb
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
         let_it_be(:repository) { project.repository }
 
         it 'is successful' do
-          expect(repository).to receive(:root_ref_sha).and_raise(StandardError)
+          expect(repository).to receive(:commit).and_return(nil)
           expect(result.status).to eq(:success)
         end
       end