diff --git a/src/Niv/Cli.hs b/src/Niv/Cli.hs
index dfcd16c..a159625 100644
--- a/src/Niv/Cli.hs
+++ b/src/Niv/Cli.hs
@@ -295,9 +295,14 @@ cmdUpdate = \case
 
         eFinalSpec <- case HMS.lookup packageName sources of
           Just defaultSpec -> do
+            -- lookup the "type" to find a Cmd to run, defaulting to legacy
+            -- github
+            let cmd = case HMS.lookup "type" (unPackageSpec defaultSpec) of
+                  Just "git" -> gitCmd
+                  _ -> githubCmd
             fmap attrsToSpec <$> tryEvalUpdate
               (specToLockedAttrs cliSpec <> specToFreeAttrs defaultSpec)
-              (updateCmd githubCmd)
+              (updateCmd cmd)
 
           Nothing -> abortCannotUpdateNoSuchPackage packageName
 
@@ -314,9 +319,14 @@ cmdUpdate = \case
         \packageName defaultSpec -> do
           tsay $ "Package: " <> unPackageName packageName
           let initialSpec = specToFreeAttrs defaultSpec
+          -- lookup the "type" to find a Cmd to run, defaulting to legacy
+          -- github
+          let cmd = case HMS.lookup "type" (unPackageSpec defaultSpec) of
+                Just "git" -> gitCmd
+                _ -> githubCmd
           finalSpec <- fmap attrsToSpec <$> tryEvalUpdate
             initialSpec
-            (updateCmd githubCmd)
+            (updateCmd cmd)
           pure finalSpec
 
       let (failed, sources') = partitionEithersHMS esources'
diff --git a/tests/git/default.nix b/tests/git/default.nix
index 9cbd460..67e307e 100644
--- a/tests/git/default.nix
+++ b/tests/git/default.nix
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 
 # TODO: this doesn' test anything meaningful yet because "niv git PACKAGE"
 # doesn't parse yet
-pkgs.runCommand "foo"
+pkgs.runCommand "git-test"
   { nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgs.git niv pkgs.nix pkgs.jq ]; }
   (
-  # First we create a dummy git repo with a single commit
+  # First we create a dummy git repo with one commit on master, and one commit
+  # on "branch".
   ''
     gitdir=$(mktemp -d)
     pushd $gitdir > /dev/null
@@ -16,6 +17,15 @@ pkgs.runCommand "foo"
     git add file
     git commit -m "Initial commit"
     gitrev=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
+
+    git checkout -b branch
+    echo world >> file
+    git add file
+    git commit -m "second commit"
+    gitrev2=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
+
+    # reset to master as "default branch"
+    git checkout master
     popd > /dev/null
   '' +
 
@@ -47,6 +57,14 @@ pkgs.runCommand "foo"
       echo "Mismatched revCount: 1 != $nivnixrevcount"
       exit 42
     fi
+
+    niv update my-git-repo -a ref=branch
+    nivrev2=$(nix eval --json '(import ./nix/sources.nix).my-git-repo.rev' | jq -r)
+    if [ ! "$gitrev2" = "$nivrev2" ]; then
+      echo "Mismatched revs: $gitrev2 != $nivrev2"
+      exit 42
+    fi
+
     popd > /dev/null
 
     touch $out