diff --git a/lib/librarian/puppet/simple/cli.rb b/lib/librarian/puppet/simple/cli.rb
index 3c4bb50..2fb4888 100644
--- a/lib/librarian/puppet/simple/cli.rb
+++ b/lib/librarian/puppet/simple/cli.rb
@@ -43,22 +43,7 @@ def update
           @custom_module_path = options[:path]
           eval(File.read(File.expand_path(options[:puppetfile])))
           each_module_of_type(:git) do |repo|
-            if Dir.exists?(File.join(module_path, repo[:name]))
-              Dir.chdir(File.join(module_path, repo[:name])) do
-                remote = repo[:git]
-                # if no ref is given, assume master
-                branch = repo[:ref] || 'master'
-                if branch =~ /^origin\/(.*)$/
-                  branch = $1
-                end
-                co_cmd     = 'git checkout FETCH_HEAD'
-                update_cmd = "git fetch #{repo[:git]} #{branch} && #{co_cmd}"
-                print_verbose "\n\n#{repo[:name]} -- #{update_cmd}"
-                git_pull_cmd = system_cmd(update_cmd)
-              end
-            else
-              install_git module_path, repo[:name], repo[:git], repo[:ref]
-            end
+            install_git module_path, repo[:name], repo[:git], repo[:ref]
           end
         end
 
diff --git a/lib/librarian/puppet/simple/installer.rb b/lib/librarian/puppet/simple/installer.rb
index 8506365..be47295 100644
--- a/lib/librarian/puppet/simple/installer.rb
+++ b/lib/librarian/puppet/simple/installer.rb
@@ -49,11 +49,24 @@ def install_git(module_path, module_name, repo, ref = nil)
           module_dir = File.join(module_path, module_name)
 
           Dir.chdir(module_path) do
-            print_verbose "cloning #{repo}"
-            system_cmd("git clone #{repo} #{module_name}")
+            unless Dir.exists?(File.join(module_path, repo))
+              print_verbose "cloning #{repo}"
+              system_cmd("git clone #{repo} #{module_name}")
+            end
             Dir.chdir(module_dir) do
-              system_cmd('git branch -r')
-              system_cmd("git checkout #{ref}") if ref
+              # if no ref is given, assume master
+              ref ||= 'master'
+              if ref =~ /^origin\/(.*)$/
+                ref = $1
+              end
+              if ref.start_with? 'refs/changes/'
+                co_cmd = 'git checkout FETCH_HEAD'
+                update_cmd = "git fetch origin #{ref} && #{co_cmd}"
+              else
+                co_cmd = "git checkout #{ref}"
+                update_cmd = "git fetch --all --tags && #{co_cmd}"
+              end
+              system_cmd(update_cmd)
             end
           end
         end