diff --git a/lib/git/base.rb b/lib/git/base.rb
index bcec10e6..4f961441 100644
--- a/lib/git/base.rb
+++ b/lib/git/base.rb
@@ -504,8 +504,23 @@ def write_and_commit_tree(opts = {})
     def update_ref(branch, commit)
       branch(branch).update_ref(commit)
     end
-    
-    
+
+    def ls_remote(location = nil, opts = {})
+      tmp = self.lib.ls_remote(location, opts)
+      ret = []
+      tmp.each { |line|
+        split = line.split
+        if (opts[:tags])
+          short_name = split[1].sub(/refs\/tags\//, '')
+          obj = {:sha => split[0], :tag_ref => split[1], :name => short_name}
+        else
+          obj = {:sha => split[0], :ref => split[1]}
+        end
+        ret.push obj
+        return ret
+      }
+    end
+
     def ls_files(location=nil)
       self.lib.ls_files(location)
     end
diff --git a/lib/git/lib.rb b/lib/git/lib.rb
index 975bc148..1f200fae 100644
--- a/lib/git/lib.rb
+++ b/lib/git/lib.rb
@@ -305,7 +305,16 @@ def diff_files
     def diff_index(treeish)
       diff_as_hash('diff-index', treeish)
     end
-            
+
+    def ls_remote(location = nil, opts = {})
+      args = []
+      if (opts != {})
+        args << (opts[:tags] ? '--tags' : '')
+      end
+      args << location
+      command_lines('ls-remote', args)
+    end
+
     def ls_files(location=nil)
       hsh = {}
       command_lines('ls-files', ['--stage', location]).each do |line|
diff --git a/tests/files/working.git/refs/heads/master b/tests/files/working.git/refs/heads/master
index 6f2e7bdb..a92a141b 100644
--- a/tests/files/working.git/refs/heads/master
+++ b/tests/files/working.git/refs/heads/master
@@ -1 +1 @@
-5e392652a881999392c2757cf9b783c5d47b67f7
+9f75a00e575356b1f85247ca33a1a751cd1325a5
diff --git a/tests/units/test_ls_remote.rb b/tests/units/test_ls_remote.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d1e6dc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/units/test_ls_remote.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env ruby
+
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+
+class TestRemoteLs < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  def setup
+    set_file_paths
+  end
+
+  def test_remote_ls
+    file_name = "test_remote_ls_tags.file"
+    in_temp_dir do |path|
+      r1 = Git.clone(@wbare, 'repo1')
+      r2 = Git.init('repo2', :bare => true)
+
+      # setup
+      r1.add_remote('r2', r2)
+      create_file('repo1/' + file_name, 'content tets_file_1')
+      r1.add(file_name)
+      r1.commit_all('test_add/test_remote_ls_tags')
+      r1.push('origin', 'master')
+      r1.push('r2', 'master')
+
+      # add a second file
+      file_name += '2'
+      create_file('repo1/' + file_name, 'content tets_file_1')
+      r1.add(file_name)
+      r1.commit_all('test_add/test_remote_ls_tags')
+      r1.push('origin', 'master')
+
+      # this is the sha for the second commit
+      test_file_sha = r1.log(1)[0].sha
+
+      refs = r1.ls_remote('r2')
+      refs.each { |r|
+        assert_false r.has_value? test_file_sha
+      }
+
+      r1.push('r2', 'master')
+      refs = r1.ls_remote('r2')
+
+      found = false
+      refs.each { |r|
+        # the r2 HEAD must point at the local sha captured
+        if r[:ref] == "HEAD"
+          assert_equal test_file_sha, r[:sha]
+          found = true
+        end
+      }
+      assert (found === true), "Expected sha was not found in remote!"
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_remote_ls_tags
+    in_temp_dir do |path|
+      r1 = Git.clone(@wbare, 'repo1')
+      r2 = Git.init('repo2', :bare => true)
+
+      # setup
+      tag_name = 'foo_bar_bazz'
+      r1.add_remote('r2', r2)
+      r1.add_tag(tag_name)
+      test_sha = r1.log(1)[0].sha
+
+      tags = r1.ls_remote('r2', {:tags => true})
+      tags.each { |t|
+        assert_false t.has_value? tag_name
+      }
+
+      r1.push('origin', 'master', {:tags => true})
+      r1.push('r2', 'master', {:tags => true})
+      tags = r1.ls_remote('r2', {:tags => true})
+
+      found = false
+      tags.each { |t|
+        if t[:sha] == test_sha
+          assert_equal t[:name], tag_name
+          assert_equal t[:tag_ref], "refs/tags/#{tag_name}"
+          found = true
+        end
+      }
+      assert (found === true), "Tag was not found in remote!"
+    end
+  end
+end