diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 790edfa..5b58502 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -64,8 +64,9 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
+    #[cfg_attr(feature = "pure_tests", ignore)]
     fn deserialize_example_config() {
-        let args = Args::parse_from(&[
+        let args = Args::parse_from([
             "github-backup",
             "--config",
             &format!(
diff --git a/src/engines/git.rs b/src/engines/git.rs
index e5cbedd..ca0443a 100644
--- a/src/engines/git.rs
+++ b/src/engines/git.rs
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ impl GitEngine {
 
         let original_head = repository.head_id().ok();
 
+        let default_refspecs = vec!["+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*".to_string()];
+
         trace!(
             "Configuring fetch operation for repository {}",
             target.display()
@@ -150,7 +152,12 @@ impl GitEngine {
             )
         })?
             .with_fetch_tags(Tags::All)
-            .with_refspecs(["+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*"], gix::remote::Direction::Fetch)
+            .with_refspecs(
+              repo.refspecs.as_ref().unwrap_or(&default_refspecs)
+                .iter()
+                .map(|s| gix::bstr::BString::from(s.as_str()))
+                .collect::<Vec<gix::bstr::BString>>(),
+              gix::remote::Direction::Fetch)
             .map_err(|e| {
                 errors::user_with_internal(
                     &format!(
@@ -319,6 +326,7 @@ mod tests {
         let repo = GitRepo::new(
             "SierraSoftworks/grey",
             "https://github.com/sierrasoftworks/grey.git",
+            None,
         );
 
         let state1 = agent
diff --git a/src/entities/mod.rs b/src/entities/mod.rs
index 46076da..d66249d 100644
--- a/src/entities/mod.rs
+++ b/src/entities/mod.rs
@@ -41,6 +41,6 @@ entity!(HttpFile(url: U => String) {
     with_content_type => content_type: Option<String>,
 });
 
-entity!(GitRepo(clone_url: U => String) {
+entity!(GitRepo(clone_url: U => String, refspecs: R => Option<Vec<String>>) {
     with_credentials => credentials: Credentials,
 });
diff --git a/src/pairing.rs b/src/pairing.rs
index 02d0c4a..7cd8af4 100644
--- a/src/pairing.rs
+++ b/src/pairing.rs
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ mod tests {
             async_stream::stream! {
               let repos: Vec<crate::helpers::github::GitHubRepo> = load_test_file("github.repos.0.json").unwrap();
               for repo in repos {
-                yield Ok(GitRepo::new(repo.full_name.as_str(), repo.clone_url.as_str())
+                yield Ok(GitRepo::new(repo.full_name.as_str(), repo.clone_url.as_str(), None)
                     .with_metadata_source(&repo));
               }
             }
diff --git a/src/sources/github_repo.rs b/src/sources/github_repo.rs
index 047ce40..0c4071f 100644
--- a/src/sources/github_repo.rs
+++ b/src/sources/github_repo.rs
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ impl BackupSource<GitRepo> for GitHubRepoSource {
         let target: GitHubRepoSourceKind = policy.from.as_str().parse()?;
 
         match target {
-            GitHubRepoSourceKind::Org(_) if self.artifact_kind == GitHubArtifactKind::Star => return Err(errors::user(
+            GitHubRepoSourceKind::Org(_) if self.artifact_kind == GitHubArtifactKind::Star => Err(errors::user(
               "You cannot use an organization as the source for a starred repository backup.",
               "Either use `from: user` or `from: users/<name>` when using a github/stars source kind.",
             )),
-            GitHubRepoSourceKind::Repo(_) if self.artifact_kind == GitHubArtifactKind::Star => return Err(errors::user(
+            GitHubRepoSourceKind::Repo(_) if self.artifact_kind == GitHubArtifactKind::Star => Err(errors::user(
               "You cannot use a repository as the source for a starred repository backup.",
               "Either use `from: user` or `from: users/<name>` when using a github/stars source kind.",
             )),
@@ -83,16 +83,27 @@ impl BackupSource<GitRepo> for GitHubRepoSource {
 
         tracing_batteries::prelude::debug!("Calling {} to fetch repos", &url);
 
+        let refspecs = policy
+            .properties
+            .get("refspecs")
+            .map(|r| r.split(',').map(|r| r.to_string()).collect::<Vec<String>>());
+
         async_stream::try_stream! {
           if matches!(target, GitHubRepoSourceKind::Repo(_)) {
             let repo = self.client.get::<GitHubRepo>(url, &policy.credentials, cancel).await?;
-            yield GitRepo::new(repo.full_name.as_str(), repo.clone_url.as_str())
+            yield GitRepo::new(
+              repo.full_name.as_str(),
+              repo.clone_url.as_str(),
+              refspecs.clone())
                 .with_credentials(policy.credentials.clone())
                 .with_metadata_source(&repo);
           } else {
             for await repo in self.client.get_paginated::<GitHubRepo>(url, &policy.credentials, cancel) {
               let repo = repo?;
-              yield GitRepo::new(repo.full_name.as_str(), repo.clone_url.as_str())
+              yield GitRepo::new(
+                repo.full_name.as_str(),
+                repo.clone_url.as_str(),
+                refspecs.clone())
                   .with_credentials(policy.credentials.clone())
                   .with_metadata_source(&repo);
             }