diff --git a/extensions/git/src/commands.ts b/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
index cdb91f8f7bb..36c40c75371 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
@@ -571,22 +571,9 @@ export class CommandCenter {
 
 			const repositoryPath = await window.withProgress(
 				opts,
-				(progress, token) => this.git.clone(url!, { parentPath: parentPath!, progress, recursive: options.recursive }, token)
+				(progress, token) => this.git.clone(url!, { parentPath: parentPath!, progress, recursive: options.recursive, ref: options.ref }, token)
 			);
 
-			const refToCheckoutAfterClone = options.ref;
-			if (refToCheckoutAfterClone !== undefined) {
-				await window.withProgress(
-					{
-						location: ProgressLocation.Notification,
-						title: localize('checking out ref', "Checking out ref '{0}'...", options.ref)
-					}, async () => {
-						await this.model.openRepository(repositoryPath);
-						const repository = this.model.getRepository(repositoryPath);
-						await repository?.checkout(refToCheckoutAfterClone);
-					});
-			}
-
 			const config = workspace.getConfiguration('git');
 			const openAfterClone = config.get<'always' | 'alwaysNewWindow' | 'whenNoFolderOpen' | 'prompt'>('openAfterClone');
 
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/git.ts b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
index c4db772afb1..d76eeebbc85 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/git.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
@@ -361,6 +361,7 @@ export interface ICloneOptions {
 	readonly parentPath: string;
 	readonly progress: Progress<{ increment: number }>;
 	readonly recursive?: boolean;
+	readonly ref?: string;
 }
 
 export class Git {
@@ -455,6 +456,9 @@ export class Git {
 			if (options.recursive) {
 				command.push('--recursive');
 			}
+			if (options.ref) {
+				command.push('--branch', `'${options.ref}'`);
+			}
 			await this.exec(options.parentPath, command, {
 				cancellationToken,
 				env: { 'GIT_HTTP_USER_AGENT': this.userAgent },