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 d6a0a00..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.' + remote + '.url (task must either be run in a ' +
-            'git repository with a configured ' + remote + ' 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).'));
       });
 }