diff --git a/app/controllers/deploys_controller.rb b/app/controllers/deploys_controller.rb
index daf37d9670..311557fcdc 100644
--- a/app/controllers/deploys_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/deploys_controller.rb
@@ -47,8 +47,10 @@ def index
   end
 
   def new
+    defaults = {reference: @stage.default_reference}
     deploy_params = params.except(:project_id, :stage_id).permit(:reference).merge(stage: @stage)
-    @deploy = current_project.deploys.build(deploy_params)
+
+    @deploy = current_project.deploys.build(defaults.merge(deploy_params))
   end
 
   def create
diff --git a/app/controllers/stages_controller.rb b/app/controllers/stages_controller.rb
index aca86248b9..f8a1f1d260 100644
--- a/app/controllers/stages_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/stages_controller.rb
@@ -121,22 +121,23 @@ def find_stage
 
   def stage_permitted_params
     [
-      :name,
+      :builds_in_environment,
+      :cancel_queued_deploys,
       :confirm,
-      :permalink,
       :dashboard,
-      :production,
-      :notify_email_address,
+      :default_reference,
       :deploy_on_release,
       :email_committers_on_automated_deploy_failure,
-      :static_emails_on_automated_deploy_failure,
-      :no_code_deployed,
       :is_template,
-      :run_in_parallel,
-      :cancel_queued_deploys,
-      :periodical_deploy,
+      :name,
+      :no_code_deployed,
       :no_reference_selection,
-      :builds_in_environment,
+      :notify_email_address,
+      :periodical_deploy,
+      :permalink,
+      :production,
+      :run_in_parallel,
+      :static_emails_on_automated_deploy_failure,
       {
         deploy_group_ids: [],
         command_ids: []
diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 25aadbae87..6dfdfc3659 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@ def deploy_link(project, stage)
     elsif Lock.locked_for?(stage, current_user)
       content_tag :a, "Locked", class: "btn btn-primary disabled", disabled: true
     elsif stage.direct?
-      path = project_stage_deploys_path(project, stage, deploy: {reference: "master", stage_id: stage.id})
-      link_to "Deploy!", path, role: "button", class: "btn btn-warning", data: {method: :post}
+      path = project_stage_deploys_path(
+        project, stage, deploy: {reference: stage.default_reference.presence || "master", stage_id: stage.id}
+      )
+      link_to "Deploy", path, role: "button", class: "btn btn-warning", data: {method: :post}
     else
       path = new_project_stage_deploy_path(project, stage)
       link_to "Deploy", path, role: "button", class: "btn btn-primary"
diff --git a/app/views/deploys/new.html.erb b/app/views/deploys/new.html.erb
index 9f5763d317..223d5eb87c 100644
--- a/app/views/deploys/new.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/deploys/new.html.erb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
       <div class="form-group">
         <%= form.label :reference, "Reference", class: "col-lg-2 control-label" %>
         <% if @stage.no_reference_selection %>
-          <%= form.object.reference = 'master' %>
+          <%= form.object.reference = @stage.default_reference.presence || 'master' %>
           <%= form.hidden_field :reference, id: 'disable_js_hooks' %>
           <%= additional_info "Reference selection is disabled for this stage." %>
         <% else %>
diff --git a/app/views/stages/_fields.html.erb b/app/views/stages/_fields.html.erb
index 4c2f959895..f5d69ea41d 100644
--- a/app/views/stages/_fields.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/stages/_fields.html.erb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
         label: "Notify after deploy",
         help: "Email addresses to notify of finished deploys, separated by <code>;</code>".html_safe
   %>
+  <%= form.input :default_reference, help: "Default reference to deploy e.g. 'master'" %>
 
   <% if DeployGroup.enabled? %>
     <%= render 'deploy_groups/deploy_group_select', form: form %>
@@ -18,7 +19,8 @@
   <%
     confirm_label = "Confirm before deployment"
     no_code_label = "Does not deploy code"
-    no_ref_label = "When selected with '#{no_code_label}' and disabled '#{confirm_label}' the stage can be directly executed."
+    no_ref_label = "Deploys with either the 'Default Reference' value or 'master'." \
+      " When selected with '#{no_code_label}' and '#{confirm_label}' is disabled the stage can be directly executed."
   %>
 
   <% help = "Bypass " + [("buddy check" if BuddyCheck.enabled?), "release tracking"].compact.to_sentence %>
diff --git a/db/migrate/20180921170100_add_default_reference_to_stages.rb b/db/migrate/20180921170100_add_default_reference_to_stages.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fbbde9ad5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20180921170100_add_default_reference_to_stages.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class AddDefaultReferenceToStages < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.2]
+  def change
+    add_column :stages, :default_reference, :string
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 2f7370c770..cab6a59a17 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 2018_09_20_200759) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 2018_09_21_170100) do
 
   create_table "audits" do |t|
     t.integer "auditable_id", null: false
@@ -530,6 +530,7 @@
     t.string "notify_email_address"
     t.float "average_deploy_time"
     t.string "prerequisite_stage_ids"
+    t.string "default_reference"
     t.index ["project_id", "permalink"], name: "index_stages_on_project_id_and_permalink", unique: true, length: { permalink: 191 }
     t.index ["template_stage_id"], name: "index_stages_on_template_stage_id"
   end
diff --git a/test/controllers/deploys_controller_test.rb b/test/controllers/deploys_controller_test.rb
index d2eef2a0c6..7d32e21627 100644
--- a/test/controllers/deploys_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/controllers/deploys_controller_test.rb
@@ -368,6 +368,20 @@ def changeset(overrides = {})
         deploy.stage.must_equal stage
         deploy.reference.must_equal "abcd"
       end
+
+      describe "with default reference" do
+        before { stage.update_column(:default_reference, 'pandas4lyfe') }
+
+        it "sets default reference" do
+          get :new, params: {project_id: project.to_param, stage_id: stage.to_param}
+          assigns(:deploy).reference.must_equal 'pandas4lyfe'
+        end
+
+        it "sets passed in reference over default reference" do
+          get :new, params: {project_id: project.to_param, stage_id: stage.to_param, reference: "abcd"}
+          assigns(:deploy).reference.must_equal "abcd"
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     describe "#create" do
diff --git a/test/helpers/application_helper_test.rb b/test/helpers/application_helper_test.rb
index 2ec1b39229..328eb53193 100644
--- a/test/helpers/application_helper_test.rb
+++ b/test/helpers/application_helper_test.rb
@@ -112,10 +112,21 @@
       assert_includes link, %(href="/projects/#{project.to_param}/deploys/#{deploy.id}")
     end
 
-    it "shows direct link when stage is direct" do
-      stage.stubs(direct?: true)
-      link.must_include ">Deploy!<"
-      link.must_include "btn-warning"
+    describe "direct stage" do
+      before { stage.stubs(direct?: true) }
+
+      it "shows direct link when stage is direct" do
+        link.must_include ">Deploy<"
+        link.must_include "master"
+        link.must_include "btn-warning"
+      end
+
+      it "shows direct link with default ref if set" do
+        stage.update_column(:default_reference, 'foobar')
+        link.must_include ">Deploy<"
+        link.must_include "foobar"
+        link.must_include "btn-warning"
+      end
     end
 
     describe "when stage can run in parallel" do