diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import tags as tagsmod
 from lock import release
 import weakref, errno, os, time, inspect
 import branchmap, pathutil
+import namespaces
 propertycache = util.propertycache
 filecache = scmutil.filecache
 
@@ -297,6 +298,9 @@ class localrepository(object):
         # - bookmark changes
         self.filteredrevcache = {}
 
+        # generic mapping between names and nodes
+        self.names = namespaces.namespaces(self)
+
     def close(self):
         pass
 
diff --git a/mercurial/namespaces.py b/mercurial/namespaces.py
--- a/mercurial/namespaces.py
+++ b/mercurial/namespaces.py
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ class namespaces(object):
         self._names = util.sortdict()
         self._repo = weakref.ref(repo)
 
+        # we need current mercurial named objects (bookmarks, tags, and
+        # branches) to be initialized somewhere, so that place is here
+        self.addnamespace("bookmarks",
+                          lambda repo, name: tolist(repo._bookmarks.get(name)))
+
     @property
     def repo(self):
         return self._repo()
diff --git a/mercurial/statichttprepo.py b/mercurial/statichttprepo.py
--- a/mercurial/statichttprepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/statichttprepo.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 # GNU General Public License version 2 or any later version.
 
 from i18n import _
-import changelog, byterange, url, error
+import changelog, byterange, url, error, namespaces
 import localrepo, manifest, util, scmutil, store
 import urllib, urllib2, errno, os
 
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ class statichttprepository(localrepo.loc
         self.vfs = self.opener
         self._phasedefaults = []
 
+        self.names = namespaces.namespaces(self)
+
         try:
             requirements = scmutil.readrequires(self.opener, self.supported)
         except IOError, inst: