diff --git a/src/cnaas_nms/db/git.py b/src/cnaas_nms/db/git.py
index be070ea0..37d41cd4 100644
--- a/src/cnaas_nms/db/git.py
+++ b/src/cnaas_nms/db/git.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     SettingsSyntaxError,
     VlanConflictError,
     get_device_primary_groups,
+    get_group_settings_asdict,
     get_groups,
     rebuild_settings_cache,
 )
@@ -302,7 +303,7 @@ def _refresh_repo_task(repo_type: RepoType = RepoType.TEMPLATES, job_id: Optiona
             devtype: DeviceType
             for devtype, platform in updated_devtypes:
                 Device.set_devtype_syncstatus(session, devtype, ret, "templates", platform, job_id)
-        refresh_existing_templates_worktrees(ret, job_id)
+        refresh_existing_templates_worktrees(ret, job_id, get_group_settings_asdict(), get_device_primary_groups())
 
     return ret
 
diff --git a/src/cnaas_nms/db/git_worktrees.py b/src/cnaas_nms/db/git_worktrees.py
index 0832b284..1c2dcc14 100644
--- a/src/cnaas_nms/db/git_worktrees.py
+++ b/src/cnaas_nms/db/git_worktrees.py
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 import git.exc
 from cnaas_nms.app_settings import app_settings
 from cnaas_nms.db.device import Device
+from cnaas_nms.db.groups import get_groups_using_branch
 from cnaas_nms.db.session import sqla_session
-from cnaas_nms.db.settings import get_device_primary_groups, get_groups_using_branch
 from cnaas_nms.devicehandler.sync_history import add_sync_event
 from cnaas_nms.tools.log import get_logger
 from git import Repo
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class WorktreeError(Exception):
     pass
 
 
-def refresh_existing_templates_worktrees(by: str, job_id: int):
+def refresh_existing_templates_worktrees(by: str, job_id: int, group_settings: dict, device_primary_groups: dict):
     """Look for existing worktrees and refresh them"""
     logger = get_logger()
     updated_groups: List[str] = []
@@ -31,12 +31,12 @@ def refresh_existing_templates_worktrees(by: str, job_id: int):
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.exception(e)
                 shutil.rmtree("/tmp/worktrees/" + subdir, ignore_errors=True)
-            updated_groups.append(get_groups_using_branch(subdir))
+            updated_groups.append(get_groups_using_branch(subdir, group_settings))
 
     # find all devices that are using these branches and mark them as unsynchronized
     updated_hostnames: List[str] = []
     with sqla_session() as session:
-        for hostname, primary_group in get_device_primary_groups():
+        for hostname, primary_group in device_primary_groups:
             if hostname in updated_hostnames:
                 continue
             if primary_group in updated_groups:
diff --git a/src/cnaas_nms/db/groups.py b/src/cnaas_nms/db/groups.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..47945d00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cnaas_nms/db/groups.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+from typing import List
+
+# TODO: move all group related things here from settings
+#  make new settings_helper.py with (verify_dir_structure etc) and separate settings_groups for get_settigns groups?
+#  use get_group_settings_asdict instead of passing dict in get_groups_using_branch below
+
+
+def get_groups_using_branch(branch_name: str, group_settings: dict) -> List[str]:
+    """Returns a list of group names that use the specified branch name"""
+    groups = []
+    for group_name, group_data in group_settings.items():
+        if group_data.get("templates_branch") == branch_name:
+            groups.append(group_name)
+    return groups
diff --git a/src/cnaas_nms/db/settings.py b/src/cnaas_nms/db/settings.py
index 26a249f8..c6354f85 100644
--- a/src/cnaas_nms/db/settings.py
+++ b/src/cnaas_nms/db/settings.py
@@ -767,15 +767,6 @@ def get_group_templates_branch(group_name: str) -> Optional[str]:
     return get_group_settings_asdict().get(group_name, {}).get("templates_branch")
 
 
-def get_groups_using_branch(branch_name: str) -> List[str]:
-    """Returns a list of group names that use the specified branch name"""
-    groups = []
-    for group_name, group_data in get_group_settings_asdict().items():
-        if group_data.get("templates_branch") == branch_name:
-            groups.append(group_name)
-    return groups
-
-
 @redis_lru_cache
 def get_group_settings_asdict() -> Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]:
     """Returns a dict with group name as key and other parameters as values"""