diff --git a/rhodecode/controllers/summary.py b/rhodecode/controllers/summary.py
--- a/rhodecode/controllers/summary.py
+++ b/rhodecode/controllers/summary.py
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ from rhodecode.lib.vcs.backends.base imp
 from rhodecode.lib.vcs.exceptions import (
     CommitError, EmptyRepositoryError, NodeDoesNotExistError)
 from rhodecode.model.db import Statistics, CacheKey, User
+from rhodecode.model.repo import ReadmeFinder
+
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -63,26 +65,21 @@ class SummaryController(BaseRepoControll
             readme_data = None
             readme_file = None
             try:
-                # gets the landing revision or tip if fails
+                # Find the landing commit
                 commit = db_repo.get_landing_commit()
                 if isinstance(commit, EmptyCommit):
                     raise EmptyRepositoryError()
-                renderer = MarkupRenderer()
-                for f in renderer.pick_readme_order(default_renderer):
-                    try:
-                        node = commit.get_node(f)
-                    except NodeDoesNotExistError:
-                        continue
+
+                readme_file = ReadmeFinder(default_renderer).search(commit)
 
-                    if not node.is_file():
-                        continue
-
-                    readme_file = f
+                # Render the readme if one was found
+                if readme_file:
+                    renderer = MarkupRenderer()
+                    node = commit.get_node(readme_file)
                     log.debug('Found README file `%s` rendering...',
                               readme_file)
-                    readme_data = renderer.render(node.content,
-                                                  filename=f)
-                    break
+                    readme_data = renderer.render(
+                        node.content, filename=readme_file)
             except CommitError:
                 log.exception(
                     "Problem getting commit when trying to render the README.")
diff --git a/rhodecode/model/repo.py b/rhodecode/model/repo.py
--- a/rhodecode/model/repo.py
+++ b/rhodecode/model/repo.py
@@ -40,11 +40,13 @@ from rhodecode.lib.auth import HasUserGr
 from rhodecode.lib.caching_query import FromCache
 from rhodecode.lib.exceptions import AttachedForksError
 from rhodecode.lib.hooks_base import log_delete_repository
+from rhodecode.lib.markup_renderer import MarkupRenderer
 from rhodecode.lib.utils import make_db_config
 from rhodecode.lib.utils2 import (
     safe_str, safe_unicode, remove_prefix, obfuscate_url_pw,
     get_current_rhodecode_user, safe_int, datetime_to_time, action_logger_generic)
 from rhodecode.lib.vcs.backends import get_backend
+from rhodecode.lib.vcs.exceptions import NodeDoesNotExistError
 from rhodecode.model import BaseModel
 from rhodecode.model.db import (
     Repository, UserRepoToPerm, UserGroupRepoToPerm, UserRepoGroupToPerm,
@@ -933,3 +935,34 @@ class RepoModel(BaseModel):
 
         if os.path.isdir(rm_path):
             shutil.move(rm_path, os.path.join(self.repos_path, _d))
+
+
+class ReadmeFinder:
+    """
+    Utility which knows how to find a readme for a specific commit.
+
+    The main idea is that this is a configurable algorithm. When creating an
+    instance you can define parameters, currently only the `default_renderer`.
+    Based on this configuration the method :meth:`search` behaves slightly
+    different.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, default_renderer):
+        self._default_renderer = default_renderer
+
+    def search(self, commit):
+        """
+        Try to find a readme in the given `commit`.
+        """
+        renderer = MarkupRenderer()
+        for f in renderer.pick_readme_order(self._default_renderer):
+            log.debug("Trying README %s", f)
+            try:
+                node = commit.get_node(f)
+            except NodeDoesNotExistError:
+                continue
+
+            if not node.is_file():
+                continue
+
+            return f