diff --git a/clients/cli/cmd/internal/pull.go b/clients/cli/cmd/internal/pull.go
index 4b8c5558..0e5d4f2c 100644
--- a/clients/cli/cmd/internal/pull.go
+++ b/clients/cli/cmd/internal/pull.go
@@ -58,13 +58,17 @@ func (cmd *PullCommand) Run(config *phrase.Config) error {
 	}
 	cmd.Branch = branchName
 
-	projectIdToLocales, err := LocalesForProjects(client, targets, cmd.Branch)
+	localesCache, err := GetLocalesCache(client, targets, cmd.Branch)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	for _, target := range targets {
-		val, ok := projectIdToLocales[LocaleCacheKey{target.ProjectID, cmd.Branch}]
+		if cmd.Branch != "" {
+			target.Params.Branch = optional.NewString(cmd.Branch)
+		}
+
+		val, ok := localesCache[LocalesCacheKey{target.ProjectID, target.Params.Branch.Value()}]
 		if !ok || len(val) == 0 {
 			if cmd.Branch != "" {
 				continue
@@ -75,7 +79,7 @@ func (cmd *PullCommand) Run(config *phrase.Config) error {
 	}
 
 	for _, target := range targets {
-		err := target.Pull(client, cmd.Branch, cmd.Async)
+		err := target.Pull(client, cmd.Async)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -103,7 +107,7 @@ type PullParams struct {
 	LocaleID                  string `json:"locale_id"`
 }
 
-func (target *Target) Pull(client *phrase.APIClient, branch string, async bool) error {
+func (target *Target) Pull(client *phrase.APIClient, async bool) error {
 	if err := target.CheckPreconditions(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -124,7 +128,7 @@ func (target *Target) Pull(client *phrase.APIClient, branch string, async bool)
 			return err
 		}
 
-		err = target.DownloadAndWriteToFile(client, localeFile, branch, async)
+		err = target.DownloadAndWriteToFile(client, localeFile, async)
 		if err != nil {
 			if openapiError, ok := err.(phrase.GenericOpenAPIError); ok {
 				print.Warn("API response: %s", openapiError.Body())
@@ -139,7 +143,7 @@ func (target *Target) Pull(client *phrase.APIClient, branch string, async bool)
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (target *Target) DownloadAndWriteToFile(client *phrase.APIClient, localeFile *LocaleFile, branch string, async bool) error {
+func (target *Target) DownloadAndWriteToFile(client *phrase.APIClient, localeFile *LocaleFile, async bool) error {
 	localVarOptionals := phrase.LocaleDownloadOpts{}
 
 	if target.Params != nil {
@@ -155,10 +159,6 @@ func (target *Target) DownloadAndWriteToFile(client *phrase.APIClient, localeFil
 		localVarOptionals.FileFormat = optional.NewString(localeFile.FileFormat)
 	}
 
-	if branch != "" {
-		localVarOptionals.Branch = optional.NewString(branch)
-	}
-
 	if localeFile.Tag != "" {
 		localVarOptionals.Tags = optional.NewString(localeFile.Tag)
 		localVarOptionals.Tag = optional.EmptyString()
diff --git a/clients/cli/cmd/internal/pull_target.go b/clients/cli/cmd/internal/pull_target.go
index 68914ee6..7b68c7f7 100644
--- a/clients/cli/cmd/internal/pull_target.go
+++ b/clients/cli/cmd/internal/pull_target.go
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@ import (
 
 type Targets []*Target
 
-func (targets Targets) ProjectIds() []string {
-	projectIds := []string{}
+func (targets Targets) GetAllLocalesCacheKeys() []LocalesCacheKey {
+	localesCacheKeys := []LocalesCacheKey{}
 	for _, target := range targets {
-		projectIds = append(projectIds, target.ProjectID)
+		localesCacheKeys = append(localesCacheKeys, LocalesCacheKey{target.ProjectID, target.Params.Branch.Value()})
 	}
-	return projectIds
+	return localesCacheKeys
 }
 
 type Target struct {
diff --git a/clients/cli/cmd/internal/push.go b/clients/cli/cmd/internal/push.go
index 23fdaa03..78e1e81c 100644
--- a/clients/cli/cmd/internal/push.go
+++ b/clients/cli/cmd/internal/push.go
@@ -130,12 +130,12 @@ func (cmd *PushCommand) Run() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	projectIdToLocales, err := LocalesForProjects(client, sources, cmd.Branch)
+	localesCache, err := GetLocalesCache(client, sources, cmd.Branch)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	for _, source := range sources {
-		val, ok := projectIdToLocales[LocaleCacheKey{source.ProjectID, cmd.Branch}]
+		val, ok := localesCache[LocalesCacheKey{source.ProjectID, cmd.Branch}]
 		if ok {
 			source.RemoteLocales = val
 		}
diff --git a/clients/cli/cmd/internal/push_source.go b/clients/cli/cmd/internal/push_source.go
index e5265044..ee7a60e2 100644
--- a/clients/cli/cmd/internal/push_source.go
+++ b/clients/cli/cmd/internal/push_source.go
@@ -148,12 +148,12 @@ func (source *Source) CheckPreconditions() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (sources Sources) ProjectIds() []string {
-	projectIds := []string{}
+func (sources Sources) GetAllLocalesCacheKeys() []LocalesCacheKey {
+	projectIdsBranches := []LocalesCacheKey{}
 	for _, source := range sources {
-		projectIds = append(projectIds, source.ProjectID)
+		projectIdsBranches = append(projectIdsBranches, LocalesCacheKey{source.ProjectID, source.Branch})
 	}
-	return projectIds
+	return projectIdsBranches
 }
 func (source *Source) uploadFile(client *phrase.APIClient, localeFile *LocaleFile, branch string, tag string) (*phrase.Upload, error) {
 	if Debug {
diff --git a/clients/cli/cmd/internal/shared.go b/clients/cli/cmd/internal/shared.go
index 6ab5b74f..4a74c6b0 100644
--- a/clients/cli/cmd/internal/shared.go
+++ b/clients/cli/cmd/internal/shared.go
@@ -20,31 +20,37 @@ import (
 
 var Debug bool
 
-type ProjectLocales interface {
-	ProjectIds() []string
+type SourcesOrTargets interface {
+	// returns a list of LocalesCacheKeys (ProjectId, Branch) for all targets
+	GetAllLocalesCacheKeys() []LocalesCacheKey
 }
 
-type LocaleCacheKey struct {
+type LocalesCacheKey struct {
 	ProjectID string
 	Branch    string
 }
 
-type LocaleCache map[LocaleCacheKey][]*phrase.Locale
+type LocaleCache map[LocalesCacheKey][]*phrase.Locale
 
-func LocalesForProjects(client *phrase.APIClient, projectLocales ProjectLocales, branch string) (LocaleCache, error) {
-	projectIdToLocales := LocaleCache{}
+// for every source or target, retrieves and caches the list of locales
+func GetLocalesCache(client *phrase.APIClient, sourcesOrTargets SourcesOrTargets, branch string) (LocaleCache, error) {
+	localesCache := LocaleCache{}
 
-	for _, pid := range projectLocales.ProjectIds() {
-		key := LocaleCacheKey{
-			ProjectID: pid,
-			Branch:    branch,
+	for _, localesCacheKey := range sourcesOrTargets.GetAllLocalesCacheKeys() {
+		branchToUse := localesCacheKey.Branch
+		if branch != "" {
+			branchToUse = branch
+		}
+		key := LocalesCacheKey{
+			ProjectID: localesCacheKey.ProjectID,
+			Branch:    branchToUse,
 		}
 
-		if _, ok := projectIdToLocales[key]; !ok {
+		if _, ok := localesCache[key]; !ok {
 
 			remoteLocales, http_response, err := RemoteLocales(client, key)
 			if err != nil {
-				if http_response != nil && http_response.StatusCode == 404 && branch != "" {
+				if http_response != nil && http_response.StatusCode == 404 && branchToUse != "" {
 					// skip this key if we targeted a branch in
 					// a project which does not exist
 					continue
@@ -52,13 +58,13 @@ func LocalesForProjects(client *phrase.APIClient, projectLocales ProjectLocales,
 				return nil, err
 			}
 
-			projectIdToLocales[key] = remoteLocales
+			localesCache[key] = remoteLocales
 		}
 	}
-	return projectIdToLocales, nil
+	return localesCache, nil
 }
 
-func RemoteLocales(client *phrase.APIClient, key LocaleCacheKey) ([]*phrase.Locale, *phrase.APIResponse, error) {
+func RemoteLocales(client *phrase.APIClient, key LocalesCacheKey) ([]*phrase.Locale, *phrase.APIResponse, error) {
 	page := 1
 
 	localVarOptionals := phrase.LocalesListOpts{