diff --git a/config-example.json b/config-example.json
index 12e3b7bb..2d1ebdab 100644
--- a/config-example.json
+++ b/config-example.json
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@
             "url" : "https://www.github.com/YourOrganization/RepoOne.git",
             "enable-push-updates" : true
         },
+        "RepoWithCustomRefs" : {
+            "url" : "https://www.github.com/YourOrganization/RepoOne.git",
+            "ref" : "develop"
+        },
         "RepoIsGitHubWiki" : {
           "url" : "https://github.com/YourOrganization/RepoWithWiki.wiki.git",
           "url-pattern" : {
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 1dce70ab..2cf01a86 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type Repo struct {
 	Vcs               string         `json:"vcs"`
 	VcsConfigMessage  *SecretMessage `json:"vcs-config"`
 	UrlPattern        *UrlPattern    `json:"url-pattern"`
+	Ref               string         `json:"ref"`
 	ExcludeDotFiles   bool           `json:"exclude-dot-files"`
 	EnablePollUpdates *bool          `json:"enable-poll-updates"`
 	EnablePushUpdates *bool          `json:"enable-push-updates"`
diff --git a/searcher/searcher.go b/searcher/searcher.go
index 4cb706ad..3d121591 100644
--- a/searcher/searcher.go
+++ b/searcher/searcher.go
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ func updateAndReindex(
 	defer lim.Release()
 
 	repo := s.Repo
-	newRev, err := wd.PullOrClone(vcsDir, repo.Url)
+	newRev, err := wd.PullOrClone(vcsDir, repo.Url, repo.Ref)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("vcs pull error (%s - %s): %s", name, repo.Url, err)
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ func newSearcher(
 		SpecialFiles:    wd.SpecialFiles(),
 	}
 
-	rev, err := wd.PullOrClone(vcsDir, repo.Url)
+	rev, err := wd.PullOrClone(vcsDir, repo.Url, repo.Ref)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/vcs/bzr.go b/vcs/bzr.go
index f8acd8dd..99e289d9 100644
--- a/vcs/bzr.go
+++ b/vcs/bzr.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (g *BzrDriver) HeadRev(dir string) (string, error) {
 	return strings.TrimSpace(buf.String()), cmd.Wait()
 }
 
-func (g *BzrDriver) Pull(dir string) (string, error) {
+func (g *BzrDriver) Pull(dir string, _ string) (string, error) {
 	cmd := exec.Command("bzr", "pull")
 	cmd.Dir = dir
 	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
diff --git a/vcs/git.go b/vcs/git.go
index f8c66825..38b39b63 100644
--- a/vcs/git.go
+++ b/vcs/git.go
@@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ func run(desc, dir, cmd string, args ...string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (g *GitDriver) Pull(dir string) (string, error) {
+func (g *GitDriver) Pull(dir string, configRef string) (string, error) {
+	ref := configRef
+	if ref == "" {
+		ref = defaultRef
+	}
 	if err := run("git fetch", dir,
 		"git",
 		"fetch",
@@ -69,7 +73,7 @@ func (g *GitDriver) Pull(dir string) (string, error) {
 		"--no-tags",
 		"--depth", "1",
 		"origin",
-		fmt.Sprintf("+%s:remotes/origin/%s", defaultRef, defaultRef)); err != nil {
+		fmt.Sprintf("+%s:remotes/origin/%s", ref, ref)); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
diff --git a/vcs/hg.go b/vcs/hg.go
index 8e13bb1b..4029c692 100644
--- a/vcs/hg.go
+++ b/vcs/hg.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func (g *MercurialDriver) HeadRev(dir string) (string, error) {
 	return strings.TrimSpace(buf.String()), cmd.Wait()
 }
 
-func (g *MercurialDriver) Pull(dir string) (string, error) {
+func (g *MercurialDriver) Pull(dir string, _ string) (string, error) {
 	cmd := exec.Command("hg", "pull", "-u")
 	cmd.Dir = dir
 	err := cmd.Run()
diff --git a/vcs/svn.go b/vcs/svn.go
index 087aa0f3..29c68e8a 100644
--- a/vcs/svn.go
+++ b/vcs/svn.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (g *SVNDriver) HeadRev(dir string) (string, error) {
 	return strings.TrimSpace(buf.String()), cmd.Wait()
 }
 
-func (g *SVNDriver) Pull(dir string) (string, error) {
+func (g *SVNDriver) Pull(dir string, _ string) (string, error) {
 	cmd := exec.Command(
 		"svn",
 		"update",
diff --git a/vcs/vcs.go b/vcs/vcs.go
index 6f2588d6..56926ab6 100644
--- a/vcs/vcs.go
+++ b/vcs/vcs.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ type Driver interface {
 	Clone(dir, url string) (string, error)
 
 	// Pull new changes from the server and update the working directory.
-	Pull(dir string) (string, error)
+	Pull(dir string, ref string) (string, error)
 
 	// Return the revision at the head of the vcs directory.
 	HeadRev(dir string) (string, error)
@@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ func exists(path string) bool {
 
 // A utility method that carries out the common operation of cloning
 // if the working directory is absent and pulling otherwise.
-func (w *WorkDir) PullOrClone(dir, url string) (string, error) {
+func (w *WorkDir) PullOrClone(dir, url, ref string) (string, error) {
 	if exists(dir) {
-		return w.Pull(dir)
+		return w.Pull(dir, ref)
 	}
 	return w.Clone(dir, url)
 }