diff --git a/elements/source-repositories/extra-data.d/98-source-repositories b/elements/source-repositories/extra-data.d/98-source-repositories
index 35d46a68e..680422fa1 100755
--- a/elements/source-repositories/extra-data.d/98-source-repositories
+++ b/elements/source-repositories/extra-data.d/98-source-repositories
@@ -136,16 +136,35 @@ function get_repos_for_element(){
                 fi
 
                 echo "Cloning from $REPONAME cache and applying ref $REPOREF"
-                sudo git clone $CACHE_PATH $REPO_DEST
-                pushd $REPO_DEST
-                sudo git fetch $CACHE_PATH $REPOREF
-                sudo git reset --hard FETCH_HEAD
-                # Get the sha in use
-                git_sha=$(git rev-parse FETCH_HEAD)
-                popd
+                # If the local dir is already used, see if the pertinent details differ
+                if [[ -d $REPO_DEST ]]; then
+                    DESIRED="$(sudo git --git-dir=$REPO_DEST/.git config remote.origin.url)"
+                    if [[ "$CACHE_PATH" != "$DESIRED" ]]; then
+                        echo "REPOLOCATIONS don't match ("$CACHE_PATH" != "$DESIRED")" >&2
+                        exit 1
+                    else
+                        pushd $REPO_DEST
+                        # When we first clone we create a branch naming what we fetched
+                        # that must match, or we are asking for two different references from the
+                        # same repo, which is an error
+                        if ! git rev-parse fetch_$REPOREF; then
+                            echo "REPOREFS don't match - failed to get sha1 of fetch_$REPOREF" >&2
+                            exit 1
+                        fi
+                        popd
+                    fi
+                else
+                    sudo git clone $CACHE_PATH $REPO_DEST
+                    pushd $REPO_DEST
+                    sudo git fetch $CACHE_PATH $REPOREF:fetch_$REPOREF
+                    sudo git reset --hard FETCH_HEAD
+                    # Get the sha in use
+                    git_sha=$(git rev-parse FETCH_HEAD)
+                    popd
 
-                # Write the sha being used into the source-repositories manifest
-                echo "$REPONAME git $REPOPATH $REPOLOCATION $git_sha" >> $GIT_MANIFEST
+                    # Write the sha being used into the source-repositories manifest
+                    echo "$REPONAME git $REPOPATH $REPOLOCATION $git_sha" >> $GIT_MANIFEST
+                fi
                 ;;
             tar)
                 # The top level directory of the tarball mightn't have a fixed name i.e.