diff --git a/src/Composer/Downloader/GitDownloader.php b/src/Composer/Downloader/GitDownloader.php
index 02ea7928a..5acc5fed6 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Downloader/GitDownloader.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Downloader/GitDownloader.php
@@ -105,10 +105,10 @@ class GitDownloader extends VcsDownloader implements DvcsDownloaderInterface
 
         $ref = $target->getSourceReference();
         $this->io->writeError("    Checking out ".$ref);
-        $command = 'git remote set-url composer %s && git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer';
+        $command = 'git remote set-url composer %s && git rev-parse --quiet --verify %s^{commit} || (git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer)';
 
-        $commandCallable = function ($url) use ($command) {
-            return sprintf($command, ProcessExecutor::escape($url));
+        $commandCallable = function ($url) use ($command, $ref) {
+            return sprintf($command, ProcessExecutor::escape($url), ProcessExecutor::escape($ref));
         };
 
         $this->gitUtil->runCommand($commandCallable, $url, $path);
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Downloader/GitDownloaderTest.php b/tests/Composer/Test/Downloader/GitDownloaderTest.php
index 3c32bcb29..0228193b8 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Downloader/GitDownloaderTest.php
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Downloader/GitDownloaderTest.php
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ class GitDownloaderTest extends TestCase
 
     public function testUpdate()
     {
-        $expectedGitUpdateCommand = $this->winCompat("git remote set-url composer 'https://github.com/composer/composer' && git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer");
+        $expectedGitUpdateCommand = $this->winCompat("git remote set-url composer 'https://github.com/composer/composer' && git rev-parse --quiet --verify 'ref'^{commit} || (git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer)");
 
         $packageMock = $this->getMock('Composer\Package\PackageInterface');
         $packageMock->expects($this->any())
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ class GitDownloaderTest extends TestCase
 
     public function testUpdateWithNewRepoUrl()
     {
-        $expectedGitUpdateCommand = $this->winCompat("git remote set-url composer 'https://github.com/composer/composer' && git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer");
+        $expectedGitUpdateCommand = $this->winCompat("git remote set-url composer 'https://github.com/composer/composer' && git rev-parse --quiet --verify 'ref'^{commit} || (git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer)");
 
         $packageMock = $this->getMock('Composer\Package\PackageInterface');
         $packageMock->expects($this->any())
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ composer https://github.com/old/url (push)
      */
     public function testUpdateThrowsRuntimeExceptionIfGitCommandFails()
     {
-        $expectedGitUpdateCommand = $this->winCompat("git remote set-url composer 'https://github.com/composer/composer' && git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer");
+        $expectedGitUpdateCommand = $this->winCompat("git remote set-url composer 'https://github.com/composer/composer' && git rev-parse --quiet --verify 'ref'^{commit} || (git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer)");
 
         $packageMock = $this->getMock('Composer\Package\PackageInterface');
         $packageMock->expects($this->any())
@@ -529,8 +529,8 @@ composer https://github.com/old/url (push)
 
     public function testUpdateDoesntThrowsRuntimeExceptionIfGitCommandFailsAtFirstButIsAbleToRecover()
     {
-        $expectedFirstGitUpdateCommand = $this->winCompat("git remote set-url composer '' && git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer");
-        $expectedSecondGitUpdateCommand = $this->winCompat("git remote set-url composer 'https://github.com/composer/composer' && git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer");
+        $expectedFirstGitUpdateCommand = $this->winCompat("git remote set-url composer '' && git rev-parse --quiet --verify 'ref'^{commit} || (git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer)");
+        $expectedSecondGitUpdateCommand = $this->winCompat("git remote set-url composer 'https://github.com/composer/composer' && git rev-parse --quiet --verify 'ref'^{commit} || (git fetch composer && git fetch --tags composer)");
 
         $packageMock = $this->getMock('Composer\Package\PackageInterface');
         $packageMock->expects($this->any())