diff --git a/R/install-git.R b/R/install-git.R
index 10170b0b..01866352 100644
--- a/R/install-git.R
+++ b/R/install-git.R
@@ -264,13 +264,18 @@ remote_download.xgit_remote <- function(x, quiet = FALSE) {
 
   bundle <- tempfile()
 
-  args <- c("clone", "--depth", "1", "--no-hardlinks")
+  disallows_unadvertised <- grepl("(github|bitbucket)[.]com", tolower(x$url))
+  args <- c("clone", if (is.null(x$ref) && disallows_unadvertised) c("--depth", "1"), "--no-hardlinks")
   args <- c(args, x$args, x$url, bundle)
   git(paste0(args, collapse = " "), quiet = quiet)
 
   if (!is.null(x$ref)) {
-    git(paste0(c("fetch", "origin", x$ref), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
-    git(paste0(c("checkout", "FETCH_HEAD"), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+    if (!disallows_unadvertised) {
+      git(paste0(c("fetch", "origin", x$ref), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+      git(paste0(c("checkout", "FETCH_HEAD"), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+    } else {
+      git(paste0(c("checkout", x$ref), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+    }
   }
 
   bundle
diff --git a/inst/install-github.R b/inst/install-github.R
index 460abc06..c92a42fc 100644
--- a/inst/install-github.R
+++ b/inst/install-github.R
@@ -3682,13 +3682,18 @@ function(...) {
   
     bundle <- tempfile()
   
-    args <- c("clone", "--depth", "1", "--no-hardlinks")
+    disallows_unadvertised <- grepl("(github|bitbucket)[.]com", tolower(x$url))
+    args <- c("clone", if (is.null(x$ref) && disallows_unadvertised) c("--depth", "1"), "--no-hardlinks")
     args <- c(args, x$args, x$url, bundle)
     git(paste0(args, collapse = " "), quiet = quiet)
   
     if (!is.null(x$ref)) {
-      git(paste0(c("fetch", "origin", x$ref), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
-      git(paste0(c("checkout", "FETCH_HEAD"), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+      if (!disallows_unadvertised) {
+        git(paste0(c("fetch", "origin", x$ref), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+        git(paste0(c("checkout", "FETCH_HEAD"), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+      } else {
+        git(paste0(c("checkout", x$ref), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+      }
     }
   
     bundle
diff --git a/install-github.R b/install-github.R
index 460abc06..c92a42fc 100644
--- a/install-github.R
+++ b/install-github.R
@@ -3682,13 +3682,18 @@ function(...) {
   
     bundle <- tempfile()
   
-    args <- c("clone", "--depth", "1", "--no-hardlinks")
+    disallows_unadvertised <- grepl("(github|bitbucket)[.]com", tolower(x$url))
+    args <- c("clone", if (is.null(x$ref) && disallows_unadvertised) c("--depth", "1"), "--no-hardlinks")
     args <- c(args, x$args, x$url, bundle)
     git(paste0(args, collapse = " "), quiet = quiet)
   
     if (!is.null(x$ref)) {
-      git(paste0(c("fetch", "origin", x$ref), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
-      git(paste0(c("checkout", "FETCH_HEAD"), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+      if (!disallows_unadvertised) {
+        git(paste0(c("fetch", "origin", x$ref), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+        git(paste0(c("checkout", "FETCH_HEAD"), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+      } else {
+        git(paste0(c("checkout", x$ref), collapse = " "), quiet = quiet, path = bundle)
+      }
     }
   
     bundle