diff --git a/gitoxide-core/src/repository/remote.rs b/gitoxide-core/src/repository/remote.rs
index 6eaf5ef397c..74b15c5faf5 100644
--- a/gitoxide-core/src/repository/remote.rs
+++ b/gitoxide-core/src/repository/remote.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #[cfg(any(feature = "blocking-client", feature = "async-client"))]
 mod net {
     use crate::OutputFormat;
-    use anyhow::Context;
+    use anyhow::{bail, Context};
     use git_repository as git;
     use git_repository::protocol::fetch;
 
@@ -9,16 +9,19 @@ mod net {
     pub async fn refs(
         repo: git::Repository,
         name: Option<&str>,
+        url: Option<git::Url>,
         format: OutputFormat,
         mut progress: impl git::Progress,
         out: impl std::io::Write,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-        let remote = match name {
-            Some(name) => repo.find_remote(name)?,
-            None => repo
+        let remote = match (name, url) {
+            (Some(name), None) => repo.find_remote(name)?,
+            (None, None) => repo
                 .head()?
                 .into_remote(git::remote::Direction::Fetch)
                 .context("Cannot find a remote for unborn branch")??,
+            (None, Some(url)) => repo.remote_at(url)?,
+            (Some(_), Some(_)) => bail!("Must not set both the remote name and the url - they are mutually exclusive"),
         };
         progress.info(format!(
             "Connecting to {:?}",
diff --git a/src/plumbing/main.rs b/src/plumbing/main.rs
index 023287119b3..d71a797b647 100644
--- a/src/plumbing/main.rs
+++ b/src/plumbing/main.rs
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ pub fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
     match cmd {
         #[cfg_attr(feature = "small", allow(unused_variables))]
-        Subcommands::Remote(remote::Platform { name, cmd }) => match cmd {
+        Subcommands::Remote(remote::Platform { name, url, cmd }) => match cmd {
             #[cfg(any(feature = "gitoxide-core-async-client", feature = "gitoxide-core-blocking-client"))]
             remote::Subcommands::Refs => {
                 #[cfg(feature = "gitoxide-core-blocking-client")]
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ pub fn main() -> Result<()> {
                             core::repository::remote::refs(
                                 repository(Mode::Lenient)?,
                                 name.as_deref(),
+                                url,
                                 format,
                                 progress,
                                 out,
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ pub fn main() -> Result<()> {
                     futures_lite::future::block_on(core::repository::remote::refs(
                         repository(Mode::Lenient)?,
                         name.as_deref(),
+                        url,
                         format,
                         progress,
                         std::io::stdout(),
diff --git a/src/plumbing/options.rs b/src/plumbing/options.rs
index a7a579d459b..d5627f3acf3 100644
--- a/src/plumbing/options.rs
+++ b/src/plumbing/options.rs
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ pub mod config {
 }
 
 pub mod remote {
+    use git_repository as git;
+
     #[derive(Debug, clap::Parser)]
     pub struct Platform {
         /// The name of the remote to connect to.
@@ -105,6 +107,10 @@ pub mod remote {
         #[clap(long, short = 'n')]
         pub name: Option<String>,
 
+        /// Connect directly to the given URL, forgoing any configuration from the repository.
+        #[clap(long, short = 'u', conflicts_with("name"), parse(try_from_os_str = std::convert::TryFrom::try_from))]
+        pub url: Option<git::Url>,
+
         /// Subcommands
         #[clap(subcommand)]
         pub cmd: Subcommands,