diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-branch/git-branch.hash b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-branch/git-branch.hash
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0061618b0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-branch/git-branch.hash
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+sha256  9697b68a51149188922b5df596f0f1f363c2abf9ee8e6feff0ec44b6bca3e69d  git-branch-mybranch.tar.gz
+sha256  2c1126513651b0d346a4e6d1bb75ac1c9999217e18026302d27bea47b06c7fb2  file
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-branch/git-branch.mk b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-branch/git-branch.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..624d07aad1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-branch/git-branch.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+################################################################################
+#
+# git-branch
+#
+################################################################################
+
+GIT_BRANCH_VERSION = mybranch
+GIT_BRANCH_SITE = git://localhost:$(GITREMOTE_PORT_NUMBER)/repo.git
+GIT_BRANCH_LICENSE_FILES = file
+
+$(eval $(generic-package))
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-branch-head/git-partial-sha1-branch-head.hash b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-branch-head/git-partial-sha1-branch-head.hash
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..648bcceca0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-branch-head/git-partial-sha1-branch-head.hash
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+sha256  70b76187369e47db69dac02c5696e63b35199cd20490fa473d289dd377774613  git-partial-sha1-branch-head-68c197d0879d485f4f6c.tar.gz
+sha256  2c1126513651b0d346a4e6d1bb75ac1c9999217e18026302d27bea47b06c7fb2  file
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-branch-head/git-partial-sha1-branch-head.mk b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-branch-head/git-partial-sha1-branch-head.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6d4177c5bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-branch-head/git-partial-sha1-branch-head.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+################################################################################
+#
+# git-partial-sha1-branch-head
+#
+################################################################################
+
+GIT_PARTIAL_SHA1_BRANCH_HEAD_VERSION = 68c197d0879d485f4f6c
+GIT_PARTIAL_SHA1_BRANCH_HEAD_SITE = git://localhost:$(GITREMOTE_PORT_NUMBER)/repo.git
+GIT_PARTIAL_SHA1_BRANCH_HEAD_LICENSE_FILES = file
+
+$(eval $(generic-package))
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch.hash b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch.hash
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d064362e2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch.hash
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+sha256  9db079b9e215799d59975db7b2b26671eff1932ee6cf1075296f2ace3e2cb746  git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch-317406308d9259e2231b.tar.gz
+sha256  fabbc65c442bacb5e69b7adfea6d14fbbfc1327134322efd12771dc84387d507  file
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch.mk b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2f65b5c9a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+################################################################################
+#
+# git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch
+#
+################################################################################
+
+GIT_PARTIAL_SHA1_REACHABLE_BY_BRANCH_VERSION = 317406308d9259e2231b
+GIT_PARTIAL_SHA1_REACHABLE_BY_BRANCH_SITE = git://localhost:$(GITREMOTE_PORT_NUMBER)/repo.git
+GIT_PARTIAL_SHA1_REACHABLE_BY_BRANCH_LICENSE_FILES = file
+
+$(eval $(generic-package))
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-branch-head/git-sha1-branch-head.hash b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-branch-head/git-sha1-branch-head.hash
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3e8f76d31a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-branch-head/git-sha1-branch-head.hash
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+sha256  a21a2507b6d94ad484e49e3a9ae698f672a57469aab8e1779da77df7c9d4d337  git-sha1-branch-head-68c197d0879d485f4f6cee85544722b79e68e59f.tar.gz
+sha256  2c1126513651b0d346a4e6d1bb75ac1c9999217e18026302d27bea47b06c7fb2  file
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-branch-head/git-sha1-branch-head.mk b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-branch-head/git-sha1-branch-head.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d3ecaa8593
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-branch-head/git-sha1-branch-head.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+################################################################################
+#
+# git-sha1-branch-head
+#
+################################################################################
+
+GIT_SHA1_BRANCH_HEAD_VERSION = 68c197d0879d485f4f6cee85544722b79e68e59f
+GIT_SHA1_BRANCH_HEAD_SITE = git://localhost:$(GITREMOTE_PORT_NUMBER)/repo.git
+GIT_SHA1_BRANCH_HEAD_LICENSE_FILES = file
+
+$(eval $(generic-package))
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch.hash b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch.hash
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f8d7b5dc48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch.hash
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+sha256  8909e76d898e651af0bc23fae4103b87888bfe77448d71aaf1fbec3da97a3ce2  git-sha1-reachable-by-branch-317406308d9259e2231bd0d6ddad3de3832bce08.tar.gz
+sha256  fabbc65c442bacb5e69b7adfea6d14fbbfc1327134322efd12771dc84387d507  file
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch.mk b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..badf9e13ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/br2-external/git-refs/package/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch/git-sha1-reachable-by-branch.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+################################################################################
+#
+# git-sha1-reachable-by-branch
+#
+################################################################################
+
+GIT_SHA1_REACHABLE_BY_BRANCH_VERSION = 317406308d9259e2231bd0d6ddad3de3832bce08
+GIT_SHA1_REACHABLE_BY_BRANCH_SITE = git://localhost:$(GITREMOTE_PORT_NUMBER)/repo.git
+GIT_SHA1_REACHABLE_BY_BRANCH_LICENSE_FILES = file
+
+$(eval $(generic-package))
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/11/93ff46343f4f6a0522e2b28b871e905178c1f0 b/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/11/93ff46343f4f6a0522e2b28b871e905178c1f0
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3541cd14f0bf5f3a172f868c7ec730dcc255ebd2
GIT binary patch
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/31/7406308d9259e2231bd0d6ddad3de3832bce08 b/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/31/7406308d9259e2231bd0d6ddad3de3832bce08
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c2c986572a7dec5f263e461155a09124d0f05844
GIT binary patch
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/34/d1da713bf7de1c535e1d7d3ca985afd84bc7e5 b/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/34/d1da713bf7de1c535e1d7d3ca985afd84bc7e5
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..29f2d4fd004afa03b43e3148207e258e7aa9fc41
GIT binary patch
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/68/c197d0879d485f4f6cee85544722b79e68e59f b/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/68/c197d0879d485f4f6cee85544722b79e68e59f
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3e421bb97a40ab93592d94107f3a1258a99b76fa
GIT binary patch
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/b2/4b387624edc78d0292a127c43cad9ba97c6232 b/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/b2/4b387624edc78d0292a127c43cad9ba97c6232
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..20491e3f176096db13c0b0c7857406e1c4119619
GIT binary patch
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/e2/cfe068f7e5bf4de32ffe1241da53abce9fa89e b/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/objects/e2/cfe068f7e5bf4de32ffe1241da53abce9fa89e
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..57be6485778c7f743a82f71ef718103cecfd4f35
GIT binary patch
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/refs/heads/mybranch b/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/refs/heads/mybranch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..45cec54673
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/git-remote/repo.git/refs/heads/mybranch
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+68c197d0879d485f4f6cee85544722b79e68e59f
diff --git a/support/testing/tests/download/test_git.py b/support/testing/tests/download/test_git.py
index fdfc858233..d603e6bb6d 100644
--- a/support/testing/tests/download/test_git.py
+++ b/support/testing/tests/download/test_git.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import shutil
 
 import infra
 from gitremote import GitRemote
@@ -35,7 +36,11 @@ class GitTestBase(infra.basetest.BRTest):
     def check_download(self, package):
         # store downloaded tarball inside the output dir so the test infra
         # cleans it up at the end
-        env = {"BR2_DL_DIR": os.path.join(self.builddir, "dl"),
+        dl_dir = os.path.join(self.builddir, "dl")
+        # enforce we test the download
+        if os.path.exists(dl_dir):
+            shutil.rmtree(dl_dir)
+        env = {"BR2_DL_DIR": dl_dir,
                "GITREMOTE_PORT_NUMBER": str(self.gitremote.port)}
         self.b.build(["{}-dirclean".format(package),
                       "{}-legal-info".format(package)],
@@ -60,3 +65,8 @@ class TestGitRefs(GitTestBase):
             self.check_download("git-wrong-content")
         with self.assertRaises(SystemError):
             self.check_download("git-wrong-sha1")
+        self.check_download("git-branch")
+        self.check_download("git-partial-sha1-branch-head")
+        self.check_download("git-partial-sha1-reachable-by-branch")
+        self.check_download("git-sha1-branch-head")
+        self.check_download("git-sha1-reachable-by-branch")
