diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7dc5682c..87d1d5cf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ And here are the operations that will need to write to your git repository.
 
      g.fetch
      g.fetch(g.remotes.first)
+     g.fetch('origin', {:ref => 'some/ref/head'} )
 
      g.pull
      g.pull(Git::Repo, Git::Branch) # fetch and a merge
diff --git a/lib/git/lib.rb b/lib/git/lib.rb
index c0d0fd56..0b3307fc 100644
--- a/lib/git/lib.rb
+++ b/lib/git/lib.rb
@@ -738,6 +738,7 @@ def tag(name, *opts)
 
     def fetch(remote, opts)
       arr_opts = [remote]
+      arr_opts << opts[:ref] if opts[:ref]
       arr_opts << '--tags' if opts[:t] || opts[:tags]
       arr_opts << '--prune' if opts[:p] || opts[:prune]
 
diff --git a/tests/units/test_remotes.rb b/tests/units/test_remotes.rb
index 1b9a7892..3e90c3b5 100644
--- a/tests/units/test_remotes.rb
+++ b/tests/units/test_remotes.rb
@@ -122,6 +122,34 @@ def test_fetch
       assert(loc.tags.map(&:name).include?('test-tag-in-deleted-branch'))
     end
   end
+
+  def test_fetch_ref_adds_ref_option
+    in_temp_dir do |path|
+      loc = Git.clone(@wbare, 'local')
+      rem = Git.clone(@wbare, 'remote', :config => 'receive.denyCurrentBranch=ignore')
+      loc.add_remote('testrem', rem)
+      
+      loc.chdir do
+        new_file('test-file1', 'gonnaCommitYou')
+        loc.add
+        loc.commit('master commit 1')
+        first_commit_sha = loc.log.first.sha
+        
+        new_file('test-file2', 'gonnaCommitYouToo')
+        loc.add
+        loc.commit('master commit 2')
+        second_commit_sha = loc.log.first.sha
+
+        # Make sure fetch message only has the first commit when we fetch the first commit
+        assert(loc.fetch('origin', {:ref => first_commit_sha}).include?(first_commit_sha))
+        assert(!loc.fetch('origin', {:ref => first_commit_sha}).include?(second_commit_sha))
+
+        # Make sure fetch message only has the second commit when we fetch the second commit
+        assert(loc.fetch('origin', {:ref => second_commit_sha}).include?(second_commit_sha))
+        assert(!loc.fetch('origin', {:ref => second_commit_sha}).include?(first_commit_sha))        
+      end      
+    end
+  end
   
   def test_push
     in_temp_dir do |path|