diff --git a/metomi/rose/loc_handlers/git.py b/metomi/rose/loc_handlers/git.py
index a06841ea0..c37c80777 100644
--- a/metomi/rose/loc_handlers/git.py
+++ b/metomi/rose/loc_handlers/git.py
@@ -87,17 +87,9 @@ def parse(self, loc, conf_tree):
             self.manager.popen.run_ok(
                 "git", git_dir_opt, "init"
             )
-            self.manager.popen.run_ok(
-                "git", git_dir_opt, "remote", "add", "origin", remote
-            )
 
             # Make sure we configure for minimum fetching.
-            if self.git_version >= (2, 25, 0):
-                self.manager.popen.run_ok(
-                    "git", git_dir_opt, "sparse-checkout", "set", path,
-                    "--no-cone"
-                )
-            else:
+            if self.git_version < (2, 25, 0):
                 self.manager.popen.run_ok(
                     "git", git_dir_opt, "config", "extensions.partialClone",
                     "true"
@@ -109,7 +101,7 @@ def parse(self, loc, conf_tree):
             # Fetch the ref/commit as efficiently as we can.
             ret_code, _, stderr = self.manager.popen.run(
                 "git", git_dir_opt, "fetch", "--depth=1",
-                "--filter=blob:none", "origin", commithash
+                "--filter=blob:none", remote, commithash
             )
             if ret_code:
                 raise ValueError(f"source={loc.name}: {stderr}")
@@ -145,9 +137,6 @@ async def pull(self, loc, conf_tree):
             await self.manager.popen.run_ok_async(
                 "git", git_dir_opt, "init"
             )
-            await self.manager.popen.run_ok_async(
-                "git", git_dir_opt, "remote", "add", "origin", remote
-            )
             if self.git_version >= (2, 25, 0) and path != "./":
                 await self.manager.popen.run_ok_async(
                     "git", git_dir_opt, "sparse-checkout", "set", path,
@@ -155,11 +144,11 @@ async def pull(self, loc, conf_tree):
                 )
                 await self.manager.popen.run_ok_async(
                     "git", git_dir_opt, "fetch", "--depth=1",
-                    "--filter=blob:none", "origin", loc.key
+                    "--filter=blob:none", remote, loc.key
                 )
             else:
                 await self.manager.popen.run_ok_async(
-                    "git", git_dir_opt, "fetch", "--depth=1", "origin", loc.key
+                    "git", git_dir_opt, "fetch", "--depth=1", remote, loc.key
                 )
 
             await self.manager.popen.run_ok_async(
diff --git a/sphinx/api/configuration/file-creation.rst b/sphinx/api/configuration/file-creation.rst
index fe565aaaf..47c19c344 100644
--- a/sphinx/api/configuration/file-creation.rst
+++ b/sphinx/api/configuration/file-creation.rst
@@ -37,7 +37,29 @@ root directory to install file targets with a relative path:
          cloned ``REPOSITORY_URL``, git checkout'ed ``TREEISH``, and extracted
          the path ``PATHSPEC`` within the clone. To extract from the root of
          the repository use a ``PATHSPEC`` of ``./`` e.g.
-         ``git:git@github.com:metomi/rose::./::2.2.0``.
+         ``git:git@github.com:metomi/rose::./::2.2.0``. It may help to think
+         of the parts of the location as git:Where::What::When. Examples:
+
+         .. code-block:: rose
+
+           # Download the sphinx directory from the master branch of
+           # the github.com/metomi/rose repo.
+           [file:rose-docs]
+           source=git:git@github.com:metomi/rose::sphinx::master
+
+           # Extract the whole contents of version 2.0.1 of the local
+           # repository at /home/user/some/path/to/my/git/repo.
+           [file:all_of_my_repo]
+           source=git:/home/user/some/path/to/my/git/repo::./::2.0.1
+
+           # Extract a single file from a particular commit of a repo
+           # on a machine that we have ssh access to.
+           [file:my_file]
+           source=git:machine01:/data/user/my_repo_name::etc/my_file::7261bff4d9a6c582ec759ef52c46dd794fe8794e
+
+         You should set ``git config uploadpack.allowFilter true`` and
+         ``git config uploadpack.allowAnySHA1InWant true`` on repositories
+         if you are setting them up to pull from.
       :opt rsync: This scheme is useful for pulling a file or directory from
          a remote host using ``rsync`` via ``ssh``. A URI should have the
          form ``HOST:PATH``.