diff --git a/kas/repos.py b/kas/repos.py
index 0958544..1c81d3b 100644
--- a/kas/repos.py
+++ b/kas/repos.py
@@ -420,7 +420,10 @@ class GitRepo(RepoImpl):
                 '-m', 'msg']
 
     def contains_refspec_cmd(self):
-        return ['git', 'cat-file', '-t', self.remove_ref_prefix(self.refspec)]
+        refspec = self.refspec
+        if refspec and refspec.startswith('refs/'):
+            refspec = 'remotes/origin/' + self.remove_ref_prefix(refspec)
+        return ['git', 'cat-file', '-t', refspec]
 
     def fetch_cmd(self):
         cmd = ['git', 'fetch', '-q']
diff --git a/tests/test_refspec.py b/tests/test_refspec.py
index f012031..6a42aa8 100644
--- a/tests/test_refspec.py
+++ b/tests/test_refspec.py
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ def test_refspec_absolute(changedir, tmpdir):
     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() == ''
+    assert rc == 0
+    assert output.strip() == 'refs/heads/master'
     (rc, output_kas_abs) = run_cmd(['git', 'rev-parse', 'HEAD'],
                                    cwd='kas_abs', fail=False, liveupdate=False)
     assert rc == 0