diff --git a/reclass/storage/yaml_git/__init__.py b/reclass/storage/yaml_git/__init__.py
index d568d18..51a9713 100644
--- a/reclass/storage/yaml_git/__init__.py
+++ b/reclass/storage/yaml_git/__init__.py
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 # This file is part of reclass
 
 import collections
+import distutils.version
 import fnmatch
 import os
+import paramiko
 
 # Squelch warning on centos7 due to upgrading cffi
 # see https://github.com/saltstack/salt/pull/39871
@@ -54,14 +56,69 @@
 
 class GitRepo(object):
 
-    def __init__(self, name):
-        self.name = name
-        if self.name.startswith('file://'):
-            self.name = self.name[7:]
-        self.repo = pygit2.Repository(self.name)
+    def __init__(self, url):
+        self.transport, _, self.url = url.partition('://')
+        self.name = self.url.replace('/', '_')
+        self.credentials = None
+        self.remotecallbacks = None
+        self._init_repo()
+        self._fetch()
         self.branches = self.repo.listall_branches()
         self.files = self.files_in_repo()
 
+    def _init_repo(self):
+        self.cache_dir = '{0}/{1}/{2}'.format(os.path.expanduser("~"), '.reclass/cache/git', self.name)
+        if os.path.exists(self.cache_dir):
+            self.repo = pygit2.Repository(self.cache_dir)
+        else:
+            os.makedirs(self.cache_dir)
+            self.repo = pygit2.init_repository(self.cache_dir, bare=True)
+
+        if not self.repo.remotes:
+            self.repo.create_remote('origin', self.url)
+
+        if 'ssh' in self.transport:
+            if '@' in self.url:
+                user, _, _ = self.url.partition('@')
+            else:
+                user = 'gitlab'
+            pygit2_version = pygit2.__version__
+            if distutils.version.LooseVersion(pygit2_version) >= distutils.version.LooseVersion('0.23.2'):
+                self.remotecallbacks = pygit2.RemoteCallbacks(credentials=pygit2.KeypairFromAgent(user))
+                self.credentials = None
+            else:
+                self.remotecallbacks = None
+                self.credentials = pygit2.KeypairFromAgent(user)
+
+    def _fetch(self):
+        origin = self.repo.remotes[0]
+        fetch_kwargs = {}
+        if self.remotecallbacks is not None:
+            fetch_kwargs['callbacks'] = self.remotecallbacks
+        if self.credentials is not None:
+            origin.credentials = self.credentials
+        fetch_results = origin.fetch(**fetch_kwargs)
+
+        remote_branches = self.repo.listall_branches(pygit2.GIT_BRANCH_REMOTE)
+        local_branches = self.repo.listall_branches()
+        for remote_branch_name in remote_branches:
+            _, _, local_branch_name = remote_branch_name.partition('/')
+            remote_branch = self.repo.lookup_branch(remote_branch_name, pygit2.GIT_BRANCH_REMOTE)
+            if local_branch_name not in local_branches:
+                local_branch = self.repo.create_branch(local_branch_name, self.repo[remote_branch.target.hex])
+                local_branch.upstream = remote_branch
+            else:
+                local_branch = self.repo.lookup_branch(local_branch_name)
+                if local_branch.target != remote_branch.target:
+                    local_branch.set_target(remote_branch.target)
+
+        local_branches = self.repo.listall_branches()
+        for local_branch_name in local_branches:
+            remote_branch_name = '{0}/{1}'.format(origin.name, local_branch_name)
+            if remote_branch_name not in remote_branches:
+                local_branch = self.repo.lookup_branch(local_branch_name)
+                local.branch.delete()
+
     def get(self, id):
         return self.repo.get(id)