diff --git a/make/projects-dir.mk b/make/projects-dir.mk
index 08647bd9..dd80bcf3 100644
--- a/make/projects-dir.mk
+++ b/make/projects-dir.mk
@@ -116,14 +116,17 @@ endif
 PROJECTS_PY                  = $(TIME) python3 $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/jw-projects.py --prefix $(shell pwd) $(PROJECTS_PY_EXTRA_OPTS)
 PROJECTS_PY_BUILD            = $(PROJECTS_PY) build $(PROJECTS_PY_EXTRA_BUILD_OPTS)
 
-PGIT_SH                      = /bin/bash $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/pgit.sh
-PGIT_SH_CLONE                = $(PGIT_SH) clone
-export PGIT_CLONE_FROM_USER  = $(CLONE_FROM_USER)
+PGIT_SH                     := /bin/bash $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/pgit.sh
+PGIT_SH_CLONE               := $(PGIT_SH) clone
+PGIT_SH_CLONE_DEFAULT       := $(PGIT_SH_CLONE)
+ifneq ($(CLONE_FROM_USER),)
+  PGIT_SH_CLONE_DEFAULT     += --refspec $(CLONE_FROM_USER)
+endif
 ifneq ($(OFFLINE_PROJECTS),)
   export PGIT_IGNORE         = $(OFFLINE_PROJECTS)
 endif
 ifneq ($(JANWARE_USER),)
-  #PGIT_SH_CLONE             += --create-remote-user-repos
+  #PGIT_SH_CLONE_DEFAULT     += --create-remote-user-repos
 endif
 ifneq ($(origin PROJECTS_DIR_REMOTE_BASE),undefined)
   PGIT_SH                   += --remote-base $(PROJECTS_DIR_REMOTE_BASE)
@@ -309,20 +312,20 @@ git-status:
 
 
 git-pull: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
-	$(PGIT_SH_CLONE)
+	$(PGIT_SH_CLONE_DEFAULT)
 
 git-pull-mini: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
-	PGIT_CLONE_PROJECTS="$(patsubst %/.git,%,$(wildcard $(addsuffix /.git,$(shell make -s build-order))))" $(PGIT_SH_CLONE)
+	PGIT_CLONE_PROJECTS="$(patsubst %/.git,%,$(wildcard $(addsuffix /.git,$(shell make -s build-order))))" $(PGIT_SH_CLONE_DEFAULT)
 
 git-pull-all: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
 	$(PGIT_SH) pull --all
 
 git-clone: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
-	$(PGIT_SH_CLONE)
+	$(PGIT_SH_CLONE_DEFAULT)
 	touch clone.done
 
 git-clone-%: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
-	PGIT_CLONE_FROM_USER=$* $(PGIT_SH_CLONE)
+	$(PGIT_SH_CLONE_DEFAULT)
 
 git-show-non-master-branches:
 	@$(PGIT_SH) branch 2>&1 | \
@@ -343,7 +346,7 @@ git-update-project-descriptions: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
 	$(GIT_SRV_ADMIN_SH) -j update-descriptions all
 
 git-pull-%: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
-	PGIT_CLONE_FROM_USER=$* $(PGIT_SH_CLONE)
+	$(PGIT_SH_CLONE) --refspec "$*:master:master"
 
 git-commit:
 	$(PGIT_SH) commit
@@ -363,5 +366,5 @@ pull.done: $(filter-out $(UNAVAILABLE_TARGETS), clone.done)
 	touch $@
 
 clone.done: $(filter-out $(UNAVAILABLE_TARGETS),$(SSH_WRAPPER_SH))
-	$(PGIT_SH_CLONE)
+	$(PGIT_SH_CLONE_DEFAULT)
 	touch $@
diff --git a/scripts/pgit.sh b/scripts/pgit.sh
index e54e7188..e1b14625 100644
--- a/scripts/pgit.sh
+++ b/scripts/pgit.sh
@@ -103,30 +103,28 @@ clone()
 	local p
 	config
 	cd $pdir
-	local refspec=(${PGIT_CLONE_FROM_USER//:/ })
-	local fromuser=${refspec[0]}
-	local fromref=${refspec[1]}
-	local toref=${refspec[2]}
 	local login=$JANWARE_USER
 	local projects="$PGIT_CLONE_PROJECTS"
 	local ignore="$PGIT_IGNORE"
 	local thisdir="${0%/*}"
 	local jw_projects="/usr/bin/python3 $thisdir/jw-projects.py"
 	local create_remote_user_repos=false
-
-	[ "$login" ] || login=`whoami`
-	[ "$fromuser" ] || fromuser=`whoami`
-	[ "$fromref" ] || fromref=master
-	local git_srv_admin="$SSH $login@git.janware.com /opt/jw-build/bin/git-srv-admin.sh"
+	local long_opts="create-remote-user-repos"
+	local refspec=()
+	long_opts="$long_opts,refspec:"
 
 	local opts
-	opts=$(getopt -o C --long create-remote-user-repos -n clone -- "$@") || fatal "Failed to parse options $@"
+	opts=$(getopt -o C --long "$long_opts" -n clone -- "$@") || fatal "Failed to parse options $@"
 	eval set -- "$opts"
 	while [ "$1" != -- ]; do
 	case "$1" in
-		-c | --create-remote-user-repos)
+		-C | --create-remote-user-repos)
 			create_remote_user_repos=true
 			;;
+		--refspec)
+			refspec=(${2//:/ })
+			shift
+			;;
 		*)
 			fatal "Unknown option $1"
 			;;
@@ -135,10 +133,20 @@ clone()
 	shift
 	done
 
+	local fromuser="${refspec[0]}"
+	local fromref="${refspec[1]}"
+	local toref="${refspec[2]}"
+	local whoami="$(id -un)"
+	[ "$login" ] || login=$whoami
+	[ "$fromuser" ] || fromuser=$whoami
+	[ "$fromref" ] || fromref=master
+	local git_srv_admin="$SSH $login@git.janware.com /opt/jw-build/bin/git-srv-admin.sh"
+
 	if [ -z "$projects" ]; then
 		projects=`$jw_projects list-repos --from-user $fromuser $remote_base`
 		[ "$?" != 0 ] && exit 1
 	fi
+
 	n_projects=`echo $projects | wc -w`
 	if [ "$PGIT_KEEP_GOING" != y ]; then set -e; fi
 	for p in $projects; do