diff --git a/api/internal/git/cloner.go b/api/internal/git/cloner.go
index c0eef9e7a..671619555 100644
--- a/api/internal/git/cloner.go
+++ b/api/internal/git/cloner.go
@@ -15,41 +15,6 @@ import (
 // Cloner is a function that can clone a git repo.
 type Cloner func(repoSpec *RepoSpec) error
 
-// DeepClonerUsingGitExec uses a local git install
-// to obtain a full-depth clone of a remote repo
-func DeepClonerUsingGitExec(repoSpec *RepoSpec) error {
-	gitProgram, err := exec.LookPath("git")
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "no 'git' program on path")
-	}
-	repoSpec.Dir, err = filesys.NewTmpConfirmedDir()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	cmd := exec.Command(
-		gitProgram,
-		"clone",
-		repoSpec.CloneSpec(),
-		repoSpec.Dir.String())
-	var out bytes.Buffer
-	cmd.Stdout = &out
-	err = cmd.Run()
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "trouble cloning %s", repoSpec.OrgRepo)
-	}
-	if repoSpec.Ref == "" {
-		repoSpec.Ref = "master"
-	}
-	cmd = exec.Command(gitProgram, "checkout", repoSpec.Ref)
-	cmd.Dir = repoSpec.Dir.String()
-	err = cmd.Run()
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(
-			err, "trouble checking out href %s", repoSpec.Ref)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // ClonerUsingGitExec uses a local git install, as opposed
 // to say, some remote API, to obtain a local clone of
 // a remote repo.
@@ -109,8 +74,28 @@ func ClonerUsingGitExec(repoSpec *RepoSpec) error {
 	cmd.Dir = repoSpec.Dir.String()
 	err = cmd.Run()
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("Error performing git fetch: %s", out.String())
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "trouble fetching %s", repoSpec.Ref)
+		cmd = exec.Command(
+			gitProgram,
+			"pull",
+			"origin",
+			"master")
+		var out bytes.Buffer
+		cmd.Stdout = &out
+		cmd.Dir = repoSpec.Dir.String()
+		err := cmd.Run()
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "trouble pulling %s", repoSpec.OrgRepo)
+		}
+		if repoSpec.Ref == "" {
+			repoSpec.Ref = "master"
+		}
+		cmd = exec.Command(gitProgram, "checkout", repoSpec.Ref)
+		cmd.Dir = repoSpec.Dir.String()
+		err = cmd.Run()
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(
+				err, "trouble checking out href %s", repoSpec.Ref)
+		}
 	}
 
 	cmd = exec.Command(