diff --git a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/VCS.hs b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/VCS.hs
index 029e190a790..a5d2100de38 100644
--- a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/VCS.hs
+++ b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/VCS.hs
@@ -506,6 +506,8 @@ vcsGit =
           | dir <- (primaryLocalDir : map snd secondaryRepos)
           ]
 
+    -- NOTE: Repositories are cloned once, but can be synchronized multiple times.
+    -- Therefore, this code has to work with both `git clone` and `git fetch`.
     vcsSyncRepo verbosity gitProg SourceRepositoryPackage{..} localDir peer = do
       exists <- doesDirectoryExist localDir
       if exists
@@ -532,10 +534,23 @@ vcsGit =
               (removePathForcibly gitModulesDir)
               (\e -> if isPermissionError e then removePathForcibly gitModulesDir else throw e)
           else removeDirectoryRecursive gitModulesDir
-      when (resetTarget /= "HEAD") $ do
-        git localDir fetchArgs -- first fetch the tag if needed
-        git localDir setTagArgs
-      git localDir resetArgs -- only then reset to the commit
+
+      -- If we want a particular branch or tag, fetch it.
+      ref <- case srpBranch `mplus` srpTag of
+        Nothing -> pure "HEAD"
+        Just ref -> do
+          git localDir ("fetch" : verboseArg ++ ["origin", ref])
+          pure "FETCH_HEAD"
+
+      -- Then, reset to the appropriate ref.
+      git localDir $
+        "reset"
+          : verboseArg
+          ++ [ "--hard"
+             , ref
+             , "--"
+             ]
+
       git localDir $ ["submodule", "sync", "--recursive"] ++ verboseArg
       git localDir $ ["submodule", "update", "--force", "--init", "--recursive"] ++ verboseArg
       git localDir $ ["submodule", "foreach", "--recursive"] ++ verboseArg ++ ["git clean -ffxdq"]
@@ -556,15 +571,7 @@ vcsGit =
             ++ verboseArg
           where
             loc = srpLocation
-        -- To checkout/reset to a particular commit, we must first fetch it
-        -- (since the base clone is shallow).
-        fetchArgs = "fetch" : verboseArg ++ ["origin", resetTarget]
-        -- And then create the Tag from the FETCH_HEAD (which we should have just fetched)
-        setTagArgs = ["tag", "-f", resetTarget, "FETCH_HEAD"]
-        -- Then resetting to that tag will work (if we don't create the tag
-        -- locally from FETCH_HEAD, it won't exist).
-        resetArgs = "reset" : verboseArg ++ ["--hard", resetTarget, "--"]
-        resetTarget = fromMaybe "HEAD" (srpBranch `mplus` srpTag)
+
         verboseArg = ["--quiet" | verbosity < Verbosity.normal]
 
 gitProgram :: Program