diff --git a/pre_commit/store.py b/pre_commit/store.py
index 93a9cab3..d1d432dc 100644
--- a/pre_commit/store.py
+++ b/pre_commit/store.py
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class Store(object):
     def _complete_clone(self, ref, git_cmd):
         """Perform a complete clone of a repository and its submodules """
 
-        git_cmd('fetch', 'origin')
+        git_cmd('fetch', 'origin', '--tags')
         git_cmd('checkout', ref)
         git_cmd('submodule', 'update', '--init', '--recursive')
 
diff --git a/tests/store_test.py b/tests/store_test.py
index 66217588..1833dee7 100644
--- a/tests/store_test.py
+++ b/tests/store_test.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from pre_commit import git
 from pre_commit.store import _get_default_directory
 from pre_commit.store import Store
 from pre_commit.util import CalledProcessError
+from pre_commit.util import cmd_output
 from testing.fixtures import git_dir
 from testing.util import cwd
 from testing.util import git_commit
@@ -147,6 +148,20 @@ def test_clone_shallow_failure_fallback_to_complete(
     assert store.select_all_repos() == [(path, rev, ret)]
 
 
+def test_clone_tag_not_on_mainline(store, tempdir_factory):
+    path = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
+    with cwd(path):
+        git_commit()
+        cmd_output('git', 'checkout', 'master', '-b', 'branch')
+        git_commit()
+        cmd_output('git', 'tag', 'v1')
+        cmd_output('git', 'checkout', 'master')
+        cmd_output('git', 'branch', '-D', 'branch')
+
+    # previously crashed on unreachable refs
+    store.clone(path, 'v1')
+
+
 def test_create_when_directory_exists_but_not_db(store):
     # In versions <= 0.3.5, there was no sqlite db causing a need for
     # backward compatibility