diff --git a/bin/gh-pages b/bin/gh-pages
index 1496e93..e5305d3 100755
--- a/bin/gh-pages
+++ b/bin/gh-pages
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ program
   .option('-x, --silent', 'Do not output the repository url')
   .option('-b, --branch <branch>',
       'name of the branch you\'ll be pushing to', 'gh-pages')
+  .option('-o, --remote <name>',
+      'The name of the remote', 'origin')
   .option('-m, --message <message>',
       'commit message', 'Updates')
   .option('-t, --dotfiles', 'Include dotfiles')
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ ghpages.publish(path.join(process.cwd(), program.dist), {
   message: program.message,
   dotfiles: !!program.dotfiles,
   add: !!program.add,
+  remote: program.remote,
   push: !program.noPush,
   logger: function(message) {
     process.stderr.write(message + '\n');
diff --git a/lib/git.js b/lib/git.js
index af3c8b7..414e0bd 100644
--- a/lib/git.js
+++ b/lib/git.js
@@ -99,13 +99,14 @@ exports.clone = function clone(repo, dir, branch, options) {
       return Q.resolve();
     } else {
       return fs.makeTree(path.dirname(path.resolve(dir))).then(function() {
-        var args = ['clone', repo, dir, '--branch', branch, '--single-branch'];
+        var args = ['clone', repo, dir, '--branch', branch, '--single-branch',
+                    '--origin', options.remote];
         if (options.depth) {
           args.push('--depth', options.depth);
         }
         return spawn(git, args).fail(function(err) {
           // try again without banch options
-          return spawn(git, ['clone', repo, dir]);
+          return spawn(git, ['clone', repo, dir, '--origin', options.remote]);
         });
       });
     }
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 708467d..024191a 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ function getRemoteUrl(dir, remote) {
       })
       .fail(function(err) {
         return Q.reject(new Error(
-            'Failed to get remote.origin.url (task must either be run in a ' +
-            'git repository with a configured origin remote or must be ' +
-            'configured with the "repo" option).'));
+            'Failed to get remote.' + remote + '.url (task must either be ' +
+            'run in a git repository with a configured ' + remote + ' remote ' +
+            'or must be configured with the "repo" option).'));
       });
 }
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ function getRepo(options) {
   if (options.repo) {
     return Q.resolve(options.repo);
   } else {
-    return getRemoteUrl(process.cwd(), 'origin');
+    return getRemoteUrl(process.cwd(), options.remote);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 5cbfde1..5256535 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -149,6 +149,24 @@ ghpages.publish(path.join(__dirname, 'build'), {
 ```
 
 
+#### <a id="optionsremote">options.remote</a>
+ * type: `string`
+ * default: `'origin'`
+
+The name of the remote you'll be pushing to.  The default is your `'origin'` remote, but this can be configured to push to any remote.
+
+Example use of the `remote` option:
+
+```js
+/**
+ * This task pushes to the `gh-pages` branch of of your `upstream` remote.
+ */
+ghpages.publish(path.join(__dirname, 'build'), {
+  remote: 'upstream'
+}, callback);
+```
+
+
 #### <a id="optionstag">options.tag</a>
  * type: `string`
  * default: `''`