diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/git/gitutil.go b/pkg/skaffold/git/gitutil.go
index 3c3bf2bcb66..e70540e9f8f 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/git/gitutil.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/git/gitutil.go
@@ -125,21 +125,21 @@ func syncRepo(ctx context.Context, g Config, opts config.SkaffoldOptions) (strin
 			return "", SyncDisabledErr(g, repoCacheDir)
 		}
 		if _, err := r.Run(ctx, "clone", g.RepoCloneURI, fmt.Sprintf("./%s", hash), "--branch", ref, "--depth", "1"); err != nil {
-			if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "Could not find remote branch") {
-				if _, err := r.Run(ctx, "clone", g.RepoCloneURI, fmt.Sprintf("./%s", hash), "--depth", "1"); err != nil {
-					return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to clone repo: %w", err)
-				}
-
-				r.Dir = repoCacheDir
-				if _, err := r.Run(ctx, "checkout", ref); err != nil {
-					if rmErr := os.RemoveAll(repoCacheDir); rmErr != nil {
-						err = fmt.Errorf("failed to remove repo cache dir: %w", rmErr)
-					}
+			// Remove partially created directory before attempting full clone
+			if rmErr := os.RemoveAll(repoCacheDir); rmErr != nil {
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to remove partially created repo directory: %w", rmErr)
+			}
+			if _, err := r.Run(ctx, "clone", g.RepoCloneURI, fmt.Sprintf("./%s", hash)); err != nil {
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to clone repo: %w", err)
+			}
 
-					return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to checkout commit: %w", err)
+			r.Dir = repoCacheDir
+			if _, err := r.Run(ctx, "checkout", ref); err != nil {
+				if rmErr := os.RemoveAll(repoCacheDir); rmErr != nil {
+					err = fmt.Errorf("failed to remove repo cache dir: %w", rmErr)
 				}
-			} else {
-				return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to clone repo: %w", err)
+
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to checkout commit: %w", err)
 			}
 		}
 	} else {