diff --git a/kas/repos.py b/kas/repos.py
index edd46ee..1eb2e5c 100644
--- a/kas/repos.py
+++ b/kas/repos.py
@@ -179,7 +179,8 @@ class RepoImpl(Repo):
                 cwd=get_context().kas_work_dir)
             if retc == 0:
                 logging.info('Repository %s cloned', self.name)
-            return retc
+            if not self.refspec.startswith('refs/'):
+                return retc
 
         # Make sure the remote origin is set to the value
         # in the kas file to avoid surprises
@@ -336,6 +337,10 @@ class GitRepo(RepoImpl):
         Provides the git functionality for a Repo.
     """
 
+    def remove_ref_prefix(self, refspec):
+        ref_prefix = 'refs/'
+        return refspec[refspec.startswith(ref_prefix) and len(ref_prefix):]
+
     def add_cmd(self):
         return ['git', 'add', '-A']
 
@@ -350,29 +355,38 @@ class GitRepo(RepoImpl):
                 '-m', 'msg']
 
     def contains_refspec_cmd(self):
-        return ['git', 'cat-file', '-t', self.refspec]
+        return ['git', 'cat-file', '-t', self.remove_ref_prefix(self.refspec)]
 
     def fetch_cmd(self):
-        return ['git', 'fetch']
+        cmd = ['git', 'fetch']
+        if self.refspec.startswith('refs/'):
+            cmd.extend(['--quiet', 'origin',
+                        '+' + self.refspec
+                        + ':refs/remotes/origin/'
+                        + self.remove_ref_prefix(self.refspec)])
+
+        return cmd
 
     def is_dirty_cmd(self):
         return ['git', 'status', '-s']
 
     def resolve_branch_cmd(self):
         return ['git', 'rev-parse', '--verify', '-q',
-                'origin/{refspec}'.format(refspec=self.refspec)]
+                'origin/{refspec}'.
+                format(refspec=self.remove_ref_prefix(self.refspec))]
 
     def checkout_cmd(self, desired_ref, branch):
-        cmd = ['git', 'checkout', '-q', desired_ref]
+        cmd = ['git', 'checkout', '-q', self.remove_ref_prefix(desired_ref)]
         if branch:
-            cmd.extend(['-B', self.refspec])
+            cmd.extend(['-B', self.remove_ref_prefix(self.refspec)])
         if get_context().force_checkout:
             cmd.append('--force')
         return cmd
 
     def prepare_patches_cmd(self):
         return ['git', 'checkout', '-q', '-B',
-                'patched-{refspec}'.format(refspec=self.refspec)]
+                'patched-{refspec}'.
+                format(refspec=self.remove_ref_prefix(self.refspec))]
 
     def apply_patches_file_cmd(self, path):
         return ['git', 'apply', path]
diff --git a/tests/test_refspec.py b/tests/test_refspec.py
index e8495d9..edb798e 100644
--- a/tests/test_refspec.py
+++ b/tests/test_refspec.py
@@ -63,3 +63,27 @@ def test_refspec_switch(changedir, tmpdir):
                            fail=False, liveupdate=False)
     assert rc == 0
     assert output.strip() == '907816a5c4094b59a36aec12226e71c461c05b77'
+
+
+def test_refspec_absolute(changedir, tmpdir):
+    """
+        Test that the local git clone works when a absolute refspec
+        is givvn.
+    """
+    tdir = str(tmpdir.mkdir('test_refspec_absolute'))
+    shutil.rmtree(tdir, ignore_errors=True)
+    shutil.copytree('tests/test_refspec', tdir)
+    os.chdir(tdir)
+
+    kas.kas(['shell', 'test3.yml', '-c', 'true'])
+    (rc, output) = run_cmd(['git', 'symbolic-ref', '-q', 'HEAD'],
+                           cwd='kas_abs', fail=False, liveupdate=False)
+    assert rc != 0
+    assert output.strip() == ''
+    (rc, output_kas_abs) = run_cmd(['git', 'rev-parse', 'HEAD'],
+                                   cwd='kas_abs', fail=False, liveupdate=False)
+    assert rc == 0
+    (rc, output_kas_rel) = run_cmd(['git', 'rev-parse', 'HEAD'],
+                                   cwd='kas_rel', fail=False, liveupdate=False)
+    assert rc == 0
+    assert output_kas_abs.strip() == output_kas_rel.strip()
diff --git a/tests/test_refspec/test3.yml b/tests/test_refspec/test3.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2557cfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_refspec/test3.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+header:
+  version: 8
+
+repos:
+  this:
+
+  kas_abs:
+    url: https://github.com/siemens/kas.git
+    refspec: refs/heads/master
+
+  kas_rel:
+    url: https://github.com/siemens/kas.git
+    refspec: master