diff --git a/lib/functions/plugins.bash b/lib/functions/plugins.bash
index 6f7a9435c..3ee912653 100644
--- a/lib/functions/plugins.bash
+++ b/lib/functions/plugins.bash
@@ -132,11 +132,10 @@ plugin_update_command() {
 update_plugin() {
   local plugin_name=$1
   local plugin_path=$2
-  plugin_remote_default_branch=$(git --git-dir "$plugin_path/.git" --work-tree "$plugin_path" ls-remote --symref origin HEAD | awk '{ sub(/refs\/heads\//, ""); print $2; exit }')
-  local gitref=${3:-${plugin_remote_default_branch}}
+  local common_git_options=(--git-dir "$plugin_path/.git" --work-tree "$plugin_path")
+  local gitref=${3:-$(git "${common_git_options[@]}" ls-remote --symref origin HEAD | awk '{ sub(/refs\/heads\//, ""); print $2; exit }')}
   logfile=$(mktemp)
 
-  local common_git_options=(--git-dir "$plugin_path/.git" --work-tree "$plugin_path")
   local prev_ref=
   local post_ref=
   {
@@ -146,7 +145,17 @@ update_plugin() {
 
     printf "Updating %s to %s\n" "$plugin_name" "$gitref"
 
-    git "${common_git_options[@]}" fetch --prune --update-head-ok origin "$gitref:$gitref"
+    local is_commit=false
+    rp=$(git "${common_git_options[@]}" rev-parse --verify -q "$gitref" || true)
+    # if rp is non-empty and gitref is a prefix of rp, then gitref is a commit
+    if [[ -n "$rp" && "$rp" == "$gitref"* ]]; then
+      is_commit=true
+    fi
+
+    # if gitref is not commit, or it is a commit but it's not present in the already cloned repo, then fetch from remote
+    if ! $is_commit || ! git "${common_git_options[@]}" cat-file -t "$gitref" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      git "${common_git_options[@]}" fetch --prune --update-head-ok origin "$gitref:$gitref"
+    fi
     prev_ref=$(git "${common_git_options[@]}" rev-parse --short HEAD)
     post_ref=$(git "${common_git_options[@]}" rev-parse --short "${gitref}")
     git "${common_git_options[@]}" -c advice.detachedHead=false checkout --force "$gitref"