diff --git a/jest.setup.js b/jest.setup.js
index 65bb8ae..c41feb5 100644
--- a/jest.setup.js
+++ b/jest.setup.js
@@ -3,8 +3,13 @@ jest.mock('simple-git', () => {
     clone: jest.fn(),
     branch: jest.fn(),
     checkout: jest.fn(),
-    fetch: jest.fn(),
+    fetch: jest.fn().mockReturnThis(),
     pull: jest.fn(),
+    init: jest.fn().mockReturnThis(),
+    addRemote: jest.fn().mockReturnThis(),
+    tags: jest.fn(() => {
+      return { latest: '' };
+    }),
   };
 
   return jest.fn(() => mockGit);
diff --git a/src/handlers/systemInstall.ts b/src/handlers/systemInstall.ts
index 4338689..7ccd64a 100644
--- a/src/handlers/systemInstall.ts
+++ b/src/handlers/systemInstall.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import getAvailableSystems from '../util/system/getAvailableSystems';
 import getGitRepoNameFromUrl from '../util/getGitRepoNameFromUrl';
 import cloneIntoCache from '../util/cache/cloneIntoCache';
 import getCachedItemCheckout from '../util/cache/getCachedItemCheckout';
+import getRepositoryLatestTag from '../util/getRepositoryLatestTag';
 import installComponentFromCache from '../util/project/installComponentFromCache';
 import installGeneralAssetsFromCache from '../util/project/installGeneralAssetsFromCache';
 import getJsonFromCachedFile from '../util/cache/getJsonFromCachedFile';
@@ -109,10 +110,16 @@ export default async function systemInstall(
     );
   }
 
+  let checkout = repo.checkout;
+  // Attempt to get latest tag if no branch was supplied.
+  if (!checkout) {
+    checkout = await getRepositoryLatestTag(repo.repository);
+  }
+
   // Clone the system into the cache.
   await cloneIntoCache('systems', [repo.name])({
     repository: repo.repository,
-    checkout: repo.checkout,
+    checkout: checkout,
   });
 
   // Load the system configuration file.
diff --git a/src/util/getRepositoryLatestTag.test.ts b/src/util/getRepositoryLatestTag.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee7c923
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/getRepositoryLatestTag.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import getRepositoryLatestTag from './getRepositoryLatestTag';
+import git from 'simple-git';
+
+const gitTagsMock = git().tags as jest.Mock;
+
+describe('getLatestRepositoryTag', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    gitTagsMock.mockClear();
+  });
+  it('Can get latest tag from repository url', async () => {
+    expect.assertions(1);
+    gitTagsMock.mockReturnValueOnce({ latest: '1.5.0' });
+    const latest = await getRepositoryLatestTag(
+      'git@github.com:emulsify-ds/compound.git'
+    );
+    expect(latest).toBe('1.5.0');
+  });
+
+  it('Can return empty if no latest tag is found', async () => {
+    expect.assertions(1);
+    const latest = await getRepositoryLatestTag(
+      'git@github.com:emulsify-ds/compoun.git'
+    );
+    expect(latest).toBe('');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/util/getRepositoryLatestTag.ts b/src/util/getRepositoryLatestTag.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8542d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/getRepositoryLatestTag.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import simpleGit from 'simple-git';
+
+const git = simpleGit();
+
+/**
+ * Helper function to get the latest tag for a given repository url.
+ *
+ * @param url git url to use
+ * @returns string of the latest tag or undefined.
+ */
+export default async function getRepositoryLatestTag(
+  url: string
+): Promise<string | undefined> {
+  const repositoryTags = await git
+    .init()
+    .addRemote('origin', url)
+    .fetch()
+    .tags();
+  return repositoryTags.latest;
+}