diff --git a/api/internal/git/cloner.go b/api/internal/git/cloner.go
index 6716195556..63fcaa21e8 100644
--- a/api/internal/git/cloner.go
+++ b/api/internal/git/cloner.go
@@ -27,90 +27,28 @@ func ClonerUsingGitExec(repoSpec *RepoSpec) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	cmd := exec.Command(
-		gitProgram,
-		"init",
-		repoSpec.Dir.String())
-	var out bytes.Buffer
-	cmd.Stdout = &out
-	cmd.Stderr = &out
-	err = cmd.Run()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("Error initializing empty git repo: %s", out.String())
-		return errors.Wrapf(
-			err,
-			"trouble initializing empty git repo in %s",
-			repoSpec.Dir.String())
-	}
 
-	cmd = exec.Command(
-		gitProgram,
-		"remote",
-		"add",
-		"origin",
-		repoSpec.CloneSpec())
-	cmd.Stdout = &out
-	cmd.Stderr = &out
-	cmd.Dir = repoSpec.Dir.String()
-	err = cmd.Run()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("Error setting git remote: %s", out.String())
-		return errors.Wrapf(
-			err,
-			"trouble adding remote %s",
-			repoSpec.CloneSpec())
-	}
 	if repoSpec.Ref == "" {
 		repoSpec.Ref = "master"
 	}
-	cmd = exec.Command(
+	cmd := exec.Command(
 		gitProgram,
-		"fetch",
+		"clone",
 		"--depth=1",
-		"origin",
-		repoSpec.Ref)
-	cmd.Stdout = &out
-	cmd.Stderr = &out
-	cmd.Dir = repoSpec.Dir.String()
-	err = cmd.Run()
-	if err != nil {
-		cmd = exec.Command(
-			gitProgram,
-			"pull",
-			"origin",
-			"master")
-		var out bytes.Buffer
-		cmd.Stdout = &out
-		cmd.Dir = repoSpec.Dir.String()
-		err := cmd.Run()
-		if err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrapf(err, "trouble pulling %s", repoSpec.OrgRepo)
-		}
-		if repoSpec.Ref == "" {
-			repoSpec.Ref = "master"
-		}
-		cmd = exec.Command(gitProgram, "checkout", repoSpec.Ref)
-		cmd.Dir = repoSpec.Dir.String()
-		err = cmd.Run()
-		if err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrapf(
-				err, "trouble checking out href %s", repoSpec.Ref)
-		}
-	}
-
-	cmd = exec.Command(
-		gitProgram,
-		"reset",
-		"--hard",
-		"FETCH_HEAD")
+		repoSpec.CloneSpec(),
+		"-b",
+		repoSpec.Ref,
+		repoSpec.Dir.String())
+	var out bytes.Buffer
 	cmd.Stdout = &out
 	cmd.Stderr = &out
-	cmd.Dir = repoSpec.Dir.String()
 	err = cmd.Run()
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("Error performing git reset: %s", out.String())
+		log.Printf("Error cloning git repo: %s", out.String())
 		return errors.Wrapf(
-			err, "trouble hard resetting empty repository to %s", repoSpec.Ref)
+			err,
+			"trouble cloning git repo %v in %s",
+			repoSpec.CloneSpec(), repoSpec.Dir.String())
 	}
 
 	cmd = exec.Command(
@@ -120,10 +58,11 @@ func ClonerUsingGitExec(repoSpec *RepoSpec) error {
 		"--init",
 		"--recursive")
 	cmd.Stdout = &out
+	cmd.Stderr = &out
 	cmd.Dir = repoSpec.Dir.String()
 	err = cmd.Run()
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "trouble fetching submodules for %s", repoSpec.Ref)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "trouble fetching submodules for %s", repoSpec.CloneSpec())
 	}
 
 	return nil